CAT/C/TKM/CO/2
about the State party’s failure to inform the Committee of the whereabouts of Boris and
Konstantin Shikhmuradov, Batyr Berdyev and Rustam Dzhumayev, and of a number of
other persons who were convicted in connection with the assassination attempt on the
former President in November 2002 (arts. 2, 11-14 and 16).
10.
The Committee reiterates its recommendations (see CAT/C/TKM/CO/1, para.
15) that the State party should:
(a)
Put an end to incommunicado detention and ensure that all persons held
incommunicado are released or are allowed to receive visits from their family
members and lawyers;
(b)
As a matter of priority, inform the Committee of the fate and
whereabouts of all persons convicted and imprisoned for allegedly attempting to
assassinate the former President;
(c)
Take the measures necessary to ensure prompt, impartial and thorough
investigations into all outstanding cases of alleged disappearance and prosecute those
responsible, notify the relatives of the victims of the outcomes of such investigations
and prosecutions, and provide remedy, as appropriate.
Arbitrary arrest, imprisonment and alleged torture and ill-treatment of human rights
defenders and journalists
11.
The Committee remains concerned about the numerous and consistent allegations of
serious acts of intimidation, reprisals, threats and arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of
human rights defenders and journalists in retaliation for their work, and of their relatives, as
well as numerous reports that such persons have been subjected to torture and ill-treatment
while in detention. It is particularly concerned about the State party’s failure to conduct a
criminal investigation into reports that Altymurad Annamuradov, the brother of journalist
Chary Annamuradov, was abducted and brutally beaten in retaliation for his brother’s work,
and that the beating led to his death on 4 September 2016. While noting the State party’s
comment that Mr. Annamuradov had died at home of natural causes, the Committee is
seriously concerned that there has been no investigation into his case, particularly given
that three of Chary Annamuradov’s brothers had previously died under suspicious
circumstances following his departure from the country in 1999. The Committee is also
concerned by the State party’s failure to release activists Gulgeldy Annaniyazov,
Annakurban Amanklychev and Sapardurdy Khajiev and journalist Saparmamed
Nepeskuliev from detention, pursuant to the decisions of the Working Group on Arbitrary
Detention (see A/HRC/WGAD/2013/22, A/HRC/16/47 and A/HRC/WGAD/2015/40). The
Committee is concerned about reports that journalists continue to be harassed and notes
with concern the information about the harassment of Soltana Achilova (arts. 2, 11-14 and
16).
12.
The Committee welcomes the verbal assurances provided by the representative
of the State party at the fifty-ninth session of the Committee that persons who have
provided information to and cooperated with the Committee will not be intimidated,
threatened or face any reprisals by the Government of Turkmenistan, in the light of
article 13 of the Convention. The State party should:
(a)
Ensure that human rights defenders and journalists are able to conduct
their work and activities freely in the State party;
(b)
Release from detention human rights defenders and journalists who
have been imprisoned and are in detention as retaliation for their work;
(c)
Investigate promptly, thoroughly and impartially all allegations of
harassment, arbitrary arrest, torture and ill-treatment of human rights defenders and
4