[prisoner-rights] Imprisoned Turkmen Journalist and Human Rights Defender Dies in Custody

Vienna 14 September 2006. The International Helsinki Federation for Human
Rights (IHF) is dismayed at reports that Turkmen journalist and human
rights defender Ogulsapar Muradova has died in custody while serving a
prison sentence on apparently politically motivated charges.

The circumstances of Muradova's death remain unclear, but relatives who
saw her body earlier today reported that it bore signs of torture,
including a large wound on the forehead and strangulation marks on the
neck. Security officials insisted that Muradova's death was natural and
rejected a demand by her relatives that the body to be examined by an
independent doctor. As of this writing, the body had been handed over to
Muradova’s three adult children, while their contacts to the outside
world were restricted.

Muradova was arrested in June 2006 together with two other human rights
activists and on 25 August she was sentenced to six years in prison for
illegal possession of weapons in a closed trial that fell seriously short
of international human rights standards. Prior to the trial, Muradova was
also accused of engaging in "subversive activities" and distributing
"slanderous information" about Turkmenistan and there are credible
allegations that she was administered psychopathic drugs in an attempt to
force her to “confess” to these accusations. The IHF and other
human rights organizations criticized the charges against Muradova and her
colleagues as groundless and designed to punish them for their legitimate
human rights work and criticism of official policies.

The Turkmen government has a long history of persecuting dissidents and of
silencing those who dare to speak out about the widespread human rights
violations in the country through intimidation, arbitrary arrest and
detention, fabricated charges and torture.

The IHF recalls the responsibility of the Turkmen government for the
well-being of those in its custody and urges the Turkmen authorities to
conduct a prompt, thorough and impartial investigation into the
circumstances of the death of Ogulsapar Muradova. Independent
international experts should be invited to participate in the
investigation and the results of it should be made public. If the
investigation shows that Muradova died as a result of torture and
ill-treatment the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

For more information: 
Aaron Rhodes, IHF Executive Director: +43-676635 66 12