Rakhim Esenov was released on 9 March, on condition that he does not leave the country. He had been detained by officers of the Ministry for National Security (MNB) in the capital, Ashgabat, at the end of February, and charged on 2 March with “inciting social, national and religious hatred” in connection with his novel. His son-in-law Igor Kaprielov is believed to be still in detention, although his precise whereabouts remain unknown. Rakhim Esenov’s close friend Ashirkuli Bayriyev is held in the MNB’s investigation-isolation prison, though it is still not known why he was arrested.
