Turkmenistan: Former prisoner unable to get medical care: Geldy Kyarizov
Geldy Kyarizov, a horse breeder who used to work for the government of Turkmenistan but fell out of favour with the authorities, is in very poor health and needs urgent specialist medical treatment abroad. However, he and his family members are reportedly on a ‘black list’ and unable to leave the country.
UA: 35/12 Index: EUR 61/001/2012 Turkmenistan Date: 3 February 2012
URGENT ACTION
FORMER PRISONER UNABLE TO GET MEDICAL CARE
Geldy Kyarizov, a horse breeder who used to work for the government of Turkmenistan
but fell out of favour with the authorities, is in very poor health and needs urgent
specialist medical treatment abroad. However, he and his family members are reportedly
on a ‘black list’ and unable to leave the country.
Amnesty International has received credible reports that Geldy Kyarizov is currently suffering from serious heart
illness, enlarged liver and high blood pressure, as well as gallbladder and gastric problems and needs access to
urgent specialist medical treatment. Amnesty International fears that if he does not access the necessary specialist
medical treatment soon, his life may be in danger. Reportedly, such specialist medical treatment is not available to
him in Turkmenistan. In similar cases Turkmenistani residents seek medical treatment abroad. However, he and
his family members are believed to be on a ‘black list’ and therefore unable to leave the country. His wife, sister-in-
law and daughter attempted to leave Turkmenistan in 2006, 2008 and 2010 respectively but were denied exit.
Amnesty International is also concerned that Geldy Kyarizov and his family continue to be harassed by the
authorities: they are currently under surveillance; his wife and sister-in-law have been unable to find employment
apparently because of being related to him.
Geldy Kyarizov used to be the director of state-run Association Turkmen Atlary (Turkmen Horses). He was
sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in an unfair trial in April 2002 on charges of abuse of office and negligence.
The charges were allegedly brought because he had fallen out of favour with the former President and was caught
up in a clampdown that saw scores of officials imprisoned. Geldy Kyarizov was included in the October 2007
presidential pardon and released from prison.
Please write immediately in Turkmen, Russian, English or your own language:
Express concern that Geldy Kyarizov is in a very poor state of health and that without urgent specialist medical
treatment his life may be in danger
Urge the authorities of Turkmenistan to lift the travel restrictions violating Geldy Kyarizov’s right to health and his
and his family’s right to freedom of movement and allow them to leave Turkmenistan;
Urge the authorities to stop harassment of Geldy Kyarizov and people close to him.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 16 MARCH 2012 TO:
President of Turkmenistan
Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov
Presidential Palace
744000 Ashgabat
Turkmenistan
Fax: +993 12 93 5112 (please try a
couple of times between 10-1500 GMT)
Salutation: Dear President of
Turkmenistan
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Rashid Meredov
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
83 pr. Magtymguly
744000 Ashgabat
Turkmenistan
Email: mfatm@online.tm
Fax: +993 12 93 4241 (please try a
couple of times between 10-1500 GMT)
Salutation: Dear Minister
Also send copies to diplomatic representatives accredited to your country. Please insert local diplomatic addresses below:
Name Address 1 Address 2 Address 3 Fax Fax number Email Email address Salutation Salutation
Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.
URGENT ACTION
FORMER PRISONER UNABLE TO GET MEDICAL CARE
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
In 2010, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov reportedly signed a new decree prohibiting the exit and entry
to the country of thousands of named individuals and organisations. The decree was sent to migration services, border guards,
security forces and police stations around the country. The new decree is reported to explicitly bar 37,057 listed individuals from
leaving Turkmenistan. Reportedly, it instructs Turkmenistani border authorities to prevent listed international human rights
organizations, including Amnesty International, from entering to the country, as well as over 8,000 named individuals of various
nationalities.
Over several years Amnesty International has documented the Turkmenistani government’s punishment and intimidation of
human rights activists, relatives and friends of exiled dissidents, and opposition members, in order to silence their critical voices.
Restrictions on the right to freedom of movement have been used in an attempt to punish perceived critics of the Turkmenistani
government and have even targeted their relatives. Amnesty International knows about cases where the relatives of the
dissidents died in Turkmenistan after having been prevented from travelling abroad to receive necessary medical treatment.
For instance, on 15 November 2009, Ovez Annaev died of at the age of 46 after being denied permission to travel to Moscow
for treatment not available in Turkmenistan, for his heart disease. He and other members of his family were barred from leaving
the country after his brother-in-law, Khudayberdy Orazov, exiled leader of the opposition movement Vatan (Motherland), was
sentenced to life imprisonment in his absence for his alleged involvement in the armed attack on former President Niyazov in
November 2002.
Name: Geldy Kyarizov
Gender m/f: male
UA: 35/12 Index: EUR 61/001/2012 Issue Date: 3 February 2012