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WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
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Turkmenistan
Index
President Niyazov has stated his support for the democratic ideal of a
multiparty system and of protection of human rights, with the caveat that
such rights protect stability, order, and social harmony. While
acknowledging that his cult of personality resembles that of Soviet
dictator Joseph V. Stalin, Niyazov claims that a strong leader is needed
to guide the republic through its transition from communism to a
democratic form of government.
Although the Niyazov government has received consistent criticism from
foreign governments and international organizations such as Helsinki Watch
for its restrictive policies toward opposition groups, in general the
government has not taken extreme steps against its political opposition.
In 1993 no political prisoners, political executions, or instances of
torture or other inhumane treatment were reported. The government has made
conscious efforts to protect equal rights and opportunities for groups of
citizens it considers benign. Such measures have been applied especially
in safeguarding the security of Russian residents, who receive special
attention because they offer a considerable body of technical and
professional expertise.
Nevertheless, government control of the media has been quite effective
in suppressing domestic criticism of the Niyazov regime. In addition,
members of opposition groups suffer harassment in the form of dismissal
from jobs, evictions, unwarranted detentions, and denial of travel papers.
Their rights to privacy are violated through telephone tapping, electronic
eavesdropping, reading of mail, and surveillance. United States officials
have protested human rights violations by refusing to sign aid agreements
with Turkmenistan and by advising against economic aid and cooperation.
Data as of March 1996
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