On 5 October 2018, International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR) and Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR) sent a letter to Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission ahead of her meeting with Raşit Meredow, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan in Brussels on 12 October 2018.
In the letter, the two organisations outline pressing human rights issues to be addressed by EU’s High Representative during the meeting with the Foreign Minister, including:
- National media is strictly controlled by the state, while the authorities impose severe restrictions on foreign media and information sources, including by arbitrarily removing satellite dishes, which are used to watch and listen to foreign TV and radio stations.
- Independent journalists and activists operating inside the country face continuous harassment and intimidation.
- Dozens of individuals previously imprisoned after trials shrouded in secrecy remain forcibly disappeared in Turkmenistan.
- Several thousands of citizens remain subject to arbitrary travel restrictions, not able to travel abroad for unspecified reasons.
Read the full letter here.