Shattered Lives: The Story of the Sazonov Family

Shattered Lives: The Story of the Sazonov Family In the 21st century, when humanity prides itself on scientific progress, technology, and global values of human rights, there are stories that drag us back to the darkest pages of history. This is the story of the Sazonov family — a story of separation, helplessness, and a desperate struggle for the most basic human right: the right to be together. The fate of Sergey Sazonov Sergey Sergeyevich Sazonov was born on August 29, 1983, in the city of Shakhty, Rostov region, Russia. His childhood was not easy: between the ages of six and eleven he moved with his mother to Turkmenistan, where he began to build his life anew. For many years, he lived in Mary velayat, in the town of Murgab. In 2016, Sergey moved to Turkey in search of a better future. But his life took a dramatic turn: his passport expired back in 2019, and on December 18, 2024, Turkish police detained him for lacking a residence permit. Just nine days later, on December 27, 2024, he was deported to Ashgabat. Instead of returning to his family, he was handed a five-year ban on entering Turkey — valid until December 27, 2029. Anna and the children: a struggle on the edge Today his wife, Anna Sergeyevna Sazonova, a citizen of Russia, faces a reality no human being should endure. Together they have two children: their eldest son is five years old, and their youngest was born only recently. But the joy of new life was overshadowed by tragedy — the baby was born premature and frail, his life hanging by a thread. He remains in the hospital, weak and dependent on machines inside an incubator. Anna is alone. One child needs constant care at home, the other is fighting for survival in a hospital ward. In these unbearable circumstances, the father — a living, able man, who should rightfully be by his family’s side — is torn away, forbidden to fulfill his most sacred duty: to be a husband and a father. Constitution vs. reality According to Turkmenistan’s Constitution, in cases of conflict or legal uncertainty, international law must take precedence. And international law is clear and unambiguous: every human being has the right to freedom of movement and the right to family reunification. But in practice, these rights remain only on paper. Families are torn apart. Women are left to face impossible trials alone. Children are deprived of their fathers’ care. The very state that should act as the guarantor of the Constitution has become its greatest violator. The Sazonov case is not an exception — it is a reflection of a system where, if you are not part of the Berdymukhamedov clan or its inner circle, you are treated as no one. In a country where rights exist only in official documents, people are forced to beg for the simplest of things: the chance to be with their loved ones. A question the world cannot ignore Why, in the 21st century, should a mother of two children — one of them fighting for his fragile life — have to beg for help? Why is a father, instead of holding his newborn’s tiny hand, condemned to separation because of senseless decisions and cruel bans? These questions are not only for the Turkmen authorities. They are for all of us — for everyone who still believes in justice, humanity, and human rights. Because if we accept that families can be broken apart with no reason, then tomorrow any of us could be in the Sazonovs’ place. Family as a value Family is the foundation of human life. It is not an abstract idea but real people whose hearts beat in unison, no matter the distances or the barriers forced between them. The story of the Sazonovs is a cry for justice, a reminder that the right to family cannot be stolen, and that silence from the international community only strengthens the hand of dictators. Anna and her children need their husband and father now more than ever.