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TKM14925-14926-120707
TURKMENISTAN: Two conscientious objectors arrested
On 14 June 2007, two Jehovah's Witness conscientious objectors,
Bayram Ashirgeldiev (TKM14925) and Nuryagdy Gairov (TKM14926) were
detained in Turkmenistan, and have been charged with "evasion of
call-up to military service" according to article 219 part 1 of the
Criminal Code of Turkmenistan. Both are now believed to be held in
pre-trial detention in the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat. According
to reports received by Amnesty International, they have not been able
to meet with their lawyers, and their family members have not been able
to visit them. Amnesty reports that the men are kept in one cell with
20-30 other detainees, and that the cell lacks ventilation and is
extremely hot during the day.
According to Amnesty International, Nuryagdy Gairov had already
previously served a prison sentence to punish him for his conscientious
objection to military service. He was detained in December 1999 and
sentenced in January 2000 to a year’s imprisonment (see also Prisoners for
Peace 2000). Although he was included in a prisoners’ amnesty in
April 2000 which made him eligible for early release, he was not
released because he refused - for religious reasons - to swear an oath
of allegiance to the President, which was required from all prisoners
who were included in this and other prisoners’ amnesties. To punish him
for refusing to swear the oath he was reportedly put in an isolation
cell and beaten so severely that he fell unconscious. He was released
in November 2000.
Turkmenistan does not recognise the right to conscientious objection.
Conscientious objectors, mostly members of the Jehovah's Witnesses and
similar religious groups, face several years' imprisonment under
criminal law and often serve their sentences in labour colonies under
harsh conditions. In a lot of cases, release has been denied if the
prisoners refused to swear an oath of allegiance to the president on
grounds of conscience.
War Resisters' International calls for letters of protest to the
Turkmen president:
Kurbanguly BERDYMUHAMMEDOV
President of Turkmenistan
Apparat Prezidenta
744000 Ashgabat
TURKMENISTAN
Fax: +993 12 355112
War Resisters' International calls for the immediate release of Bayram Ashirgeldiev, Nuryagdy Gairov, and all other imprisoned conscientious objectors.
Andreas Speck
War Resisters' International
wri-irg.org