Turkmenistan to free 1,284 prisoners in amnesty
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 10 September 2009 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Turkmenistan to free 1,284 prisoners in amnesty, 10 September 2009, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4aaf5c85c.html [accessed 7 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 10, 2009
ASHGABAT (Reuters) – Turkmenistan, a reclusive Central Asian state viewed by the West as a potential source of natural gas, will free 1,284 prisoners including 21 foreigners in a traditional amnesty, state television has reported.
The amnesty, expected in mid-September, is linked to the Muslim holiday of Laylat al-Qadr, marked towards the end of Ramadan, state television said.
"Yet another act of pardoning is a tribute to the humane traditions of our ancestors," it said.
Rights groups say Turkmenistan's undisclosed prison population includes political prisoners locked up during the 21-year rule of autocratic leader Saparmurat Niyazov, who died in 2006.
His successor Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov has sought to promote a more liberal image, but human rights campaigners say his reforms have been cosmetic.
Turkmenistan, whose rich natural-gas resources could become an alternative source for supplies to Europe, is now actively courted by Western governments.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
