Omruzak Omarkuliev
Omruzak Omarkuliev (born 1994) is a citizen of Turkmenistan and civic activist who was sentenced to 20 years "deprivation of liberty."[1] Omarkuliev's current status is not known as he has been allowed no visitors and the Turkmen authorities will not release his location.[1]
Activism
[edit]Omarkuliev was a second year university student in Turkey when he founded a society of "compatriot students."[2] The Turkmen Embassy in Turkey told Omarkuliev they were interested in supporting his organization, and invited Omarkuliev to return home and attend an event held by Turkmenistan's Central Election Commission.[1]
Omarkuliev returned to Turkmenistan for the event, but when he tried to return to his university in February 2018, he found he was under a travel ban and could not board his flight.[3]
Arrest and Sentence
[edit]RFE/RL and the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights reported that Omarkuliev was sentenced to 20 years in prison on unknown charges after a closed-door trial.[4] RFE/RL reported in September 2018 that Omarkuliev appeared in a video, which the authorities claimed was evidence that Omarkuliev was serving his two-year military service and had not actually been arrested.[4] The truth of this is suspect, and journalists have claimed that it is more likely he is being held in Ovadan-Depe prison.[5] The conditions in this prison are notoriously inhumane.[6]
International Response
[edit]The international human rights organization Freedom Now and the law firm Hogan Lovells has filed a petition on behalf of Omarkuliev to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.[7] In December 2021, Freedom Now also included his detention on a list of issues to be considered for Turkmenistan's periodic review for the UN Human Rights Council.[8]
The U.S. Department of State mentioned Omarkuliev's case in its 2020 country report on human rights practices in Turkmenistan.[4] In June 2020, a bipartisan group of senators wrote a letter to the president of Turkmenistan, President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, requesting the release of political prisoners.[9]
The European Union, the United Nations, and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have also been demanding to know his whereabouts.[5]
Eleven United States Senators wrote a letter calling for his immediate release in June 2020.[10]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Synovitz, Ron (21 August 2019). "The Turkmen President Is Alive, But What About His Prisoners?". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Father of Omruzak Omarkuliev, student-activist sentenced to 20 years in prison, dies". hronikatm.com. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Student Omruzak Umarkuliev is Flying to Turkmenistan. Lured There On False Pretences, He's Been Sentenced to a Lengthy Prison Term". turkmen.news. 19 June 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ a b c "2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Turkmenistan". state.gov. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ a b Synovitz, Ron; Yusupov, Farruh (22 September 2019). "'Dubious' Turkmen Video Claims Missing Activist Joined Army, Dead Father Still Alive". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "The Ovadan Depe Prison: Medieval Torture in Modern Turkmenistan" (PDF). provetheyarealive.org. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Omarkuliev WGAD Petition" (PDF). freedom-now.org. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee" (PDF). Freedom Now. February–March 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
- ^ "Letter to Turkmenistan President" (PDF). foreign.senate.gov. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
- ^ "Romney Joins Call on Central Asian Leaders to Release Unjustly Detained Prisoners at High Risk of COVID-19". 30 June 2020. Retrieved 22 September 2022.