Crude Accountability, a human rights and environmental organization based in Virginia, USA, has released a report detailing severe human rights abuses within Turkmenistan’s prison system. Published on their official website, the report highlights the country’s alarming rate of incarceration and the inhumane conditions faced by prisoners.
The report reveals that Turkmenistan ranks among the highest globally in prisoners per capita. Satellite images depict the expansion of Akdash colony near Turkmenbashi and Ovadandepe prison near Ashgabat, indicating increased capacities and worsening conditions. Images from 2015 show the construction of a new facility, referred to as “New Akdash,” adjacent to the existing prison.
Inhumane conditions persist, with prisoners suffering from torture, beatings, inadequate food, and limited hygiene products. Kate Watters, Executive Director of Crude Accountability, criticized Turkmenistan for failing to honor its international commitments to the UN, OSCE, and various international conventions.
Watters also noted the broader implications of Turkmenistan’s human rights violations, stating, “Turkmenistan’s continued impunity creates an opening for other authoritarian governments to tighten their authoritarian methods. As we watch human rights violations across Eurasia, we see the brutal methods of the Turkmen regime being used in other countries as well.”
Using data from the World Prison Brief, the report estimates that Turkmenistan’s prison population exceeds 35,000, with 576 prisoners per 100,000 inhabitants, placing it third globally after the United States and Rwanda.
Radio Azatlyk reported that Akdash prison holds convicted former law enforcement officers, while Ovadandepe prison is infamous for the enforced disappearance of over a hundred political prisoners. Observers note that the regime uses its prison system to maintain fear and obedience among the populace.
I can say that this report underscores the brutal reality faced by prisoners in Turkmenistan and the regime’s use of incarceration to suppress dissent and control the population.
Ayna Matiyeva