Turkmen court sentences RFE/RL reporter to five years in jail
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 5 October 2011 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Turkmen court sentences RFE/RL reporter to five years in jail, 5 October 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e9ea787b.html [accessed 3 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. |
Last updated (GMT/UTC): 05.10.2011 19:53
Dovletmyrat Yazkuliyev
ASHGABAT – A Turkmen court has sentenced an RFE/RL correspondent to five years in jail after convicting him of encouraging a relative's suicide attempt, RFE/RL's Turkmen Service reports.
Dovletmyrat Yazkuliyev went on trial on October 4 for allegedly urging a relative to attempt suicide, in a case his family says is retaliation for his journalistic activities.
The Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it was "dismayed and shocked" by the sentence against Yazkuliyev.
RSF said in a statement that "the reign of the arbitrary continues unchecked in Turkmenistan."
He was one of the first journalists in Turkmenistan to cover deadly explosions at a weapons depot at Abadan near Ashgabat in July, which official media initially downplayed as a minor incident.
RSF called the charges against him "absurd" and said Yazkuliyev was being punished for his outspoken investigative reporting and his online blogs.
RFE/RL President Steven Korn called the case against Yazkuliyev "an outrage," noting: "This was a bogus trial and a predatory sentence that shows that Turkmenistan authorities respect no law and no standards when it comes to their treatment of the media. RFE/RL protests the sentence vigorously and calls on others in the international community to condemn it as well."
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
