Transnational Repression Against Citizens of Turkmenistan

Transnational Repression Against Citizens of Turkmenistan: Why the International Community Must Take Urgent Action In recent years, an increasing number of citizens of Turkmenistan have become victims of transnational repression — including forced deportations, enforced disappearances, politically motivated detentions, pressure through family members, abuse of Interpol mechanisms, and manipulation of migration procedures. Particular concern arises from the fact that such cases are taking place in Turkey, CIS countries, and other states where activists and human rights defenders remain highly vulnerable to possible cooperation between local authorities and Turkmen security services. Today, real protection mechanisms for Turkmen activists are practically nonexistent: obtaining temporary protection in many countries is impossible; submitting applications to UNHCR is effectively inaccessible without official protection status in the country of residence; even attempts to apply for protection are often accompanied by fear of transnational repression, deportation, and possible persecution; asylum procedures are delayed for years; and people continue to remain under the threat of deportation, abduction, and enforced disappearance. There is an increasing number of documented cases involving the use of: Interpol requests, the G-82 code (“threat to the security of the host country”), terrorism-related accusations, cancellation of documents, and migration procedures in politically motivated cases against activists, bloggers, human rights defenders, and independent journalists. If the international community is truly interested in preventing transnational crimes and protecting human rights, concrete and urgent measures are necessary. Our Proposals 1. Humanitarian Corridor for Activists and Human Rights Defenders A simplified mechanism for obtaining humanitarian visas must be established for: activists, human rights defenders, journalists, bloggers, and their family members. This primarily concerns individuals currently located in Turkey, CIS countries, and other states where there is a risk of cooperation with Turkmen security services. 2. Creation of Crisis Centers Under UNHCR We propose the establishment of temporary protection crisis centers for persecuted activists and human rights defenders under the supervision of UNHCR. Such centers would allow individuals to: remain in safety, receive legal assistance, await relocation to safe countries, and undergo international protection procedures without the risk of deportation. 3. International Pressure Regarding the Abuse of Interpol and the G-82 Code The international community should conduct an international review of the use of: Interpol mechanisms, the G-82 code, and terrorism-related accusations in politically motivated cases against citizens of Turkmenistan. The use of counterterrorism mechanisms against civil activists, bloggers, and human rights defenders poses a serious threat to the international human rights protection system. 4. Issuance of Passports to Citizens of Turkmenistan Through Diplomatic Missions One of the simplest and most necessary measures is ensuring the issuance and renewal of passports for citizens of Turkmenistan through diplomatic missions abroad. This obligation is based on: the Constitution of Turkmenistan, Article 29, Paragraph 3 of the migration legislation of Turkmenistan, as well as international conventions and state obligations. Refusal to issue documents leaves people effectively defenseless, deprives them of the possibility of legal residence, and significantly increases the risk of deportation and transnational repression. An International Problem, Not an Internal Issue Transnational repression is no longer an internal issue of Turkmenistan. When people are: secretly deported, handed over to security services, forcibly disappeared, or subjected to political persecution through international mechanisms,this becomes a threat to international law and to the global human rights protection system as a whole. We believe that the measures proposed above could significantly reduce risks and help prevent new cases of enforced disappearances and politically motivated deportations. Information about victims of transnational repression can be found in the comments section. In the near future, the website of the Human Rights Platform of the Civil Movement “Dayanç” / Turkmenistan will launch a separate section dedicated to victims of transnational repression and political prisoners. Website: https://dayanchplatform.com