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african continent

Bouygues involved in several anti-union actions in africa
16/01/2008
During its working history in Africa, the French building company Bouygues and its subsidiaries have been involved in many violations against...

brazil

Shell Forced to Clean Up Contamination & Conduct Medical Examinations of Workers
21/11/2007
For some 20 years, Shell produced pesticides and stored oil products at its facilities at Vila Carioca and Paulinia in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil...

burma

Friends Of The Earth calls for business withdrawal from Burma
20/12/2007
Big European companies such as Alcatel, Siemens, Total, Maersk and Rolls-Royce, and a number of timber companies, are still doing business...

canada

Canadian Buried Hill Energy and ex-prime minister support the Turkmenistan government through business ventures
28/05/2008
Buried Hill Energy is an Alberta-based oil and gas company. It was founded and continues to be led by a team of Canadian oil and gas specialists. The company prides...

finland

The dark history of OL3 suppliers
16/01/2008
The main suppliers of Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power plant in Finland share a history of price fixing.

france

Behind the surface: A world of fraud and corruption
17/01/2008
The history of the Bouygues Group is full of investigations and verdicts on fraud, bribery and cartels...

nigeria

Siemens loses deal in Nigeria over allegations of corruption
20/12/2007
Nigerian government has cancelled a 750 000 euro deal with Siemens Nigeria due to...

Shell – NIGER DELTA
13/11/2007
Shell operations in Nigeria Delta

Trailer of “Delta – Oil's Dirty Business”
12/11/2007
A documentary film that portrays the image of "development" in Nigeria, the way giant multinational petroleum companies would define it. Produced by: Small Planet Productions

Siemens Bribery Scandal
07/12/2007
A US law firm hired by Siemens last December to investigate the corruption at the company, is understood to be...

Shell fails to obey gas flaring court order
14/11/2007
Friends Of The Earth Press Release May 2 2007

Nigeria : Living with Shell
14/11/2007
Friends Of the Earth. Director: Janos Jersh, Editor:Dana K.Trometer

norway

Norwegian army in quarrel with Siemens
20/12/2007
The Norwegian military has blacklisted Siemens for overcharging it by 4,5 million euros between 2000 and...

russia

Sakhalin Island: Oil Slicks & Slick Talk
24/11/2007
Sakhalin Island is located in the Russian Far East, to the north of Hokkaido, Japan...

south africa

Durban, South Africa: Social development schemes to ignore refinery hazards
24/11/2007
Durban is home to the massive South African Petroleum Refinery (SAPREF) which is the largest crude oil refinery in South Africa...

trinidad and tobago

Heavy opposition toward rapid rail project in trinidad
17/01/2008
Bouygues is not wanted as a contractor in the rapid rail building project in Trinidad and Tobago.

turkmenistan

Hunted By A Dictator
25/10/2008
Short documentary

Drug Mafia Showdown in Turkmen Capital
25/09/2008
NBCentralAsia observers believe a prolonged shootout in the Turkmen capital Ashgabat may well have been about the illegal drugs trade, as the authorities have said...

New details
25/09/2008
As a result of clashes in Ashgabat, 9 special services officers were killed, including five staff members of the Ministry of National Security and...

Raid by special forces conducted in Ashgabat
25/09/2008
The drinking water plant in Khitrovka (the city district located in the northern part of Ashgabat) has been under fire...

Funds for a new hospital
15/10/2008
The opening of a new hospital in the centre of the new etrap, Rukhubelent, in the northern Turkmenistan has coincided in time...

On the state of freedom of the mass media in Turkmenistan
16/09/2008
After the death of Turkmenistan’s first president the new authorities have sought to build their image by formally contrasting their...

President Calls for Improved Road Safety
14/08/2008
The Turkmen authorities will not succeed with their plan to improve road safety unless corruption among police officers and officials is stamped out...

Only a few Turkmenistan residents quietly react to the arbitrariness of the authorities
16/09/2008
The residents of an apartment building, located in the Moscow avenue in Ashgabat (residential district Mir-2) have ousted a team of...

Uzbek-Turkmen Rapprochement Slow in Coming
30/09/2008
Despite a thaw in relations, the authorities in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan have been hesitant about opening up to...

Interview with A. Dubnov
15/10/2008
We would like to bring to your attention the interview with international columnist of the newspaper 'Vremya novostei' Arkady Dubnov.

Market trends
09/10/2008
On September 22 the opening night of the play "Avaza" was held. The production was staged by the Balkanabat Drama Theatre in the Ashgabat student theatre named after Mollanepes.

Homeless officers
09/10/2008
The large scale demolition of apartment blocks is currently taking place in the Turkmen capital. This time the military personnel’s houses...

Turkmen Leader Promises IT Revolution
30/09/2008
As Turkmenistan makes efforts to modernise and improve its IT and telecommunications systems, observers say internet access remains a major headache.

The UN Human Rights Council
30/09/2008
Hearings on Turkmenistan took place at the session of the United National Human Rights Council on September 23 in Geneva. The report submitted...

Youtube blocked in Turkmenistan
30/09/2008
Despite that fact that MTS (Mobile Tele Systems) launched its operations in the Turkmen market, the company is unable...

Waiting for the denomination
30/09/2008
Rumours are increasingly spreading across Turkmenistan that the government is set to further devalue the dollar exchange rate prior to the manat denomination.

G. Annaniyazov’s daughter failed to leave Turkmenistan
15/10/2008
Last week Gulgeldy Annaniyazov’s daughter attempted to exit Turkmenistan together with her family but the country’s...

Court trial over G. Annaniyazov held
15/10/2008
As has just become known, on Tuesday, October 7 the court trial over Gulgeldy Annaniyazov was held in Ashgabat.

Market trends – 2
09/10/2008
he closer it gets to Turkmenistan’s Independence Day, the more visible the change of "epochs", which is taking place in the country. As a matter of urgency the...

Turkmenistan Launches Image Campaign
16/09/2008
Turkmenistan’s leaders are planning a public information and internet strategy to spruce up the country’s image abroad

A suicide attempt in the female colony
05/09/2008
Guzel Ataeva, a spouse of the former Chairman of Turkmenistan’s Parliament Ovezgeldy Ataev, who has been kept in detention for over a year...

New Constitution Fails to Spark Debate
06/08/2008
The publication of a new draft constitution for Turkmenistan has so far failed to provoke the kind of public discussion the authorities asked for.

Desperate deserters
06/08/2008
In June, less than a month after the military draft, three (according to other sources, five) recruits ran away from a military unit located in the Lebap velayat.

Analysts Predict Grain Shortfall
30/07/2008
Reports coming out of Turkmenistan suggest there will be a shortfall in grain availability that could lead to difficulties over the winter...

Gas cut-off as collective punishment
30/07/2008
Earlier this week the Dashoguz municipal authorities have been combating the apartment dwellers who installed the gas stoves without approval by the municipal gas supply department.

Turkmen, Uzbek Faith Groups Still Under Pressure
30/07/2008
The state of religious freedoms in both Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan remains as poor as ever, with both governments suspicious of...

New ideology requires new ideologists
23/07/2008
As has been reported by Turkmenistan’s State Information Agency, the joint session of the VI extraordinary congress of the national...

Mail censorship. Why hide the obvious?
23/07/2008
It is a well known fact that a customs officer is assigned to each post office. He is supposed to inspect the contents of the...

Journalists under surveillance
23/07/2008
Journalists continue to be persecuted in Turkmenistan. As has become known, the Ministry of National Security is currently...

Turkmen Farmers’ Hands Still Tied
23/07/2008
While the Turkmen government appears to recognise the need for farming reforms, there are certain obstacles to success it must...

Typhoid fever is rampant in the eastern Turkmenistan
17/07/2008
Quarantine has been introduced in the northern part of the Lebap velayat after several inhabited localities became the centres of disseminating the typhoid fever.

Private Schools in Turkmenistan
06/08/2008
As part of a major constitutional reform, the Turkmen authorities plan to make private education a viable alternative to the state system.

The statues of Turkmenbashi. The domino principle
06/08/2008
The era of the new Renaissance is toppling down the Turkmenbashi’s epoch. Dozens of monuments of the former country’s leader have been...

Those who are unable to give birth can buy a child
14/08/2008
The health care practitioners from the Lebap velayat maternity hospital have been selling newly born infants abandoned by their mothers...

Triple passport checks
05/09/2008
The Turkmen border guard officers continue to suspect all passengers on international flights of being spies or potential criminals.

Turkmen Leader Bans Child Labour
05/09/2008
The authorities in Turkmenistan have ordered an end to the use of children to pick cotton, although analysts doubt the ban will come into force in time for...

Both the Rukhnama and mother of all Turkmen fall into oblivion
30/08/2008
Earlier this week "The Palace of Happiness" located in the centre of Dashoguz – the venue for wedding receptions and birthday celebrations...

Power and Water Cuts Threaten Tourist Zone
30/08/2008
The western Turkmen region where the authorities are planning to establish a tourist zone is suffering from severe water and power shortages...

An alarming night in Ashgabat
30/08/2008
The residents of Turkmenistan’s capital spent an alarming night on August 20. The previous day the rumours began to spread that...

Timely Expansion of Legal Advice Provision
22/08/2008
Government plans to expand the network of legal services in Turkmenistan should be accompanied by other measures, including the provision of...

An earthquake is expected in Ashgabat
22/08/2008
The inhabitants of the Turkmen capital are panic stricken by the rumours of the forthcoming earthquake which is expected to strike the city this night...

New Customs Policy May Bolster Investment
22/08/2008
Recent changes to the Turkmen customs policy will create a better climate for foreign investment, by reducing duties and...

Crimes during the Renaissance era
22/08/2008
Early August, an audacious armed assault was made at the petrol station located in the village of Gekdepe, 50 kilometres from Ashgabat.

A strange decision
14/08/2008
The instruction by the Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Railway Transport not to sell return tickets to passengers came amid the high travel season...

The prisoners are funded at the expense of their families
17/07/2008
Prisons and detentions facilities in Turkmenistan virtually exist on the supplies provided by the inmates’ families and relatives.

Niyazov - Drug Lord of Turkmenistan
25/10/2008
Short documentary

Customs fees inflated
05/03/2009
ast year customs officers charged an amount equivalent to 1 USD for clearing one square meter of a container loaded with freight. Now the fee amounts to $8.

Turkmen Farmers to Get Higher Prices
28/01/2009
The government of Turkmenistan is raising the price it pays farmers for grain, but analysts say this measure alone will not achieve the aim of increasing production to a point where the country is self-sufficient in flour.

Turkmen education: reform and regress
22/01/2009
About two years ago it was announced that the need arose to carry out the reform of Turkmenistan’s educational system.

Turkmen Gas Still Earmarked for Russia
22/01/2009
The dispute between Russia and Ukraine over the halting of gas supplies to Europe has rekindled talk of a direct energy link between Turkmenistan and the West.

Arts Stagnating in Turkmenistan
22/01/2009
Although Turkmenistan’s leaders have promised to reinvigorate culture and the arts, they continue to exert a heavy hand, controlling artists, censoring material and imposing ridiculous rules.

Currency exchange boom subsided
15/01/2009
After the start of the new year, queues which had formed at the currency exchange offices, gradually dissolved. The residents, frightened in...

Universal Periodical Review
02/01/2009
On 10 December, the United Nations Human Rights Council published a report of the working group on the procedure of the Universal Periodical Review (UPR) mechanism on Turkmenistan.

Results of the poll
02/01/2009
Our volunteers conducted a network population survey to find out how correct the official data on the number of voters who took part in the recent election of the deputies to the Medjlis are.

Land Audit Planned for Desert State
02/01/2009
NBCentral Asia observers say plans to reform Turkmen agriculture are driven by concerns over soil degradation and low fertility, in a desert country where arable land is in short supply...

The authorities fail to tackle flour and bread shortage
02/01/2009
A maximum of 1,5 thousand bread loaves per day are made in the bakery located in the village of Jeikhun with a population of 12 thousand people...

Incompetent Officials Hinder Turkmen Reforms
28/01/2009
Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdymuhammedov is engaged in a major reshuffle of his top officials, although NBCentralAsia analysts question whether simply bringing in new faces will be enough to make government more efficient.

Is corruption in the police ineradicable?
28/01/2009
The heads of passport offices in Turkmenistan’s police departments illegally ask 300 US dollars for issuing a passport, the main identification document.

Turkmenistan: Continuing failure to fulfil promises
12/02/2009
Politically motivated harassment, detentions and imprisonments continue unabated in Turkmenistan despite the government's promises to uphold human rights, Amnesty International said today, ahead of the government’s second anniversary.

Bad trend
05/03/2009
Ken Silverstein, Washington editor for Harper's Magazine, wrote a book "Turkmeniscam*: How Washington Lobbyists Fought to Flack for a Stalinist Dictatorship", which was issued last year.

Drivers - drug addicts
05/03/2009
In mid February the special services conducted raids in the cities of Turkmenabat and Mary. The patrolling was designed to screen the drivers of privately-owned mini buses for drug-abuse.

The residents of Lebap sponsor state-financed event
05/03/2009
Non-payment of salaries for the past three months, withdrawal of funds from the accounts of enterprises and organizations, including privately-owned businesses, financial contributions from...

Report of TIHR "Turkmenistan. Human rights in the era of the great Renaissance"
17/02/2009
It goes without saying that it was premature to expect rapid changes in the human rights field just two years after the death of the Turkmen autocratic leader S. Niyazov, who ruled unchallenged for 21 years.

Going to a concert in handcuffs
17/02/2009
Prominent Turkmen musicians are being escorted to official concerts almost in handcuffs.

Newspapers – to the storage depot
17/02/2009
Starting from mid January "hazardous freight" - newspapers from the neighboring Uzbekistan - has been stored in the warehouse at the Lebap velayat customs.

The Renaissance era or return to the Middle Ages?
17/02/2009
The Vice Prime Minister of the Turkmen government, Maisa M. Yazmukhamedova, has come up with requirements, perceived as strange for "the Renaissance era" at a meeting of the intelligentsia in the run up to the "historical" Cabinet session held on January 1

Turkmen Internet Prices Down, but Access Limited
17/02/2009
The cost of using the internet in Turkmenistan is falling, although access remains limited to a handful of places in urban centres, and many foreign sites are blocked.

To "Shanghai" for drugs
17/02/2009
Shanghai is the name of a district in the suburbs of Turkmenabat. It is home to all main points of drug sale in the administrative center of the country’s eastern province.

Turkmen Election Reveals Depressingly Familiar Abuses
02/01/2009
Observers say the parliamentary election held in Turkmenistan on December 14 was strongly reminiscent of previous polls held over the 17 years that the country has been independent.

Foreign-Led Construction Projects Face Audit
02/01/2009
The Turkmen authorities are planning a review of construction work carried out by foreign companies to check whether contracts are being fulfilled.

Social reforms in the background of a bazaar
06/11/2008
Soaring prices for food and basic consumer goods are referred to as an unprecedented price increase by the residents of Turkmenistan’s eastern province.

Interview with V. Ponomarev
06/11/2008
We would like to bring to your attention a video interview with V. Ponomarev.

Freedom Needed for Turkmen Arts to Flourish
06/11/2008
The Turkmen authorities have decided that the best way to foster the arts is by setting up a government commission which will rule on which novels...

Bulldozer destroys the past
06/11/2008
Turkmenistan’s era of independence is destroying the past. Dozens of old, often unique buildings were destroyed in the period from 1991 to 2008.

Turkmen Leader Lambastes Ministers for Reform Failure
27/10/2008
President Gurbanguly Berdymuhammedov of Turkmenistan has criticised his government for failing to implement reforms properly.

Major Investment Needed for Vast Turkmen Gas Reserves
27/10/2008
Following a study which shows Turkmenistan’s gas reserves to be much larger than previously thought, NBCentralAsia analysts say the country’s energy...

The film about the Rukhnama hits the target
27/10/2008
The documentary film by the Finnish film-makers «Shadow of the Holy Book» ranks among the top ten European documentaries based on 2008 .

Only family members and friends?
27/10/2008
The quiet resignation in August 2008 of Rector of the State Institute of Sports and Tourism, Bairam Annaorazov, which was hardly...

Turkmen Leader Calls for Energy Route Security
27/10/2008
A proposal by Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdymuhammedov for international coordination to protect oil and gas exports is unlikely to...

Turkmenistan: New Policies But Little Sign of Change
15/11/2008
Turkmen leader wants new ideology to signal a change from his predecessor’s rules, but is he serious about changing the status quo?

Nominations Start for Turkmen Election
15/11/2008
As nominations get under way for the December parliamentary election in Turkmenistan, local commentators say the process is all too...

On issuance of new international passports in Turkmenistan
15/11/2008


Turkmenistan’s Silent Election Candidates
10/12/2008
The campaign for the December 14 parliamentary election in Turkmenistan is so low-key that few people know who...

Turkmen authorities should release Gulgeldy Annaniyazov
10/12/2008
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) urges Turkmen authorities to release Gulgeldy Annaniyazov

The list of documents required to obtain a new passport
10/12/2008
We are publishing a photocopy of the list of documents required to obtain a new Turkmen passport.

Only frost will kill hepatitis
10/12/2008
The number of those infected with viral hepatitis is on the rise in the Dashoguz velayat. Among them there are...

A good view from above
10/12/2008
In the northern country’s provinces the residents in virtually all localities were quite surprised by the zealousness the public...

Turkmen Leaders Plan Crisis Strategy
10/12/2008
NBCentralAsia observers believes the global financial crisis offers Turkmenistan something of an opportunity.

Turkmen Cotton Harvest Drags On and On
10/12/2008
Although the Turkmen authorities say the cotton harvest is over, it seems there is still work to be done even as winter approaches...

Army rules take effect at the railway station
15/11/2008
As soon as young men are called up for the military service in the Turkmen army, they are subjected to infringement of their rights, abuse and abasement of human dignity.

The authorities of Ashgabat continue to dismantle satellite aerials
15/11/2008
The authorities of Ashgabat continue to dismantle private satellite aerials in the densely-populated districts of Ashgabat.

Decentralisation Plans in Turkmenistan
27/10/2008
The Mejlis or parliament in Turkmenistan is drafting a set of bills designed to give local councils a greater say in national-level policymaking.

Turkmenistan’s Drug Problem
17/07/2008
Efforts to curb illegal drug use and trafficking are failing to tackle this growing problem in Turkmenistan, NBCentralAsia analysts say.

Nokia must return government funding
04/03/2008
”It is completely unthinkable that a company which receives public endorsements can collaborate with a dictatorship,” says Mikko Sauli...

The law of the sun king
16/01/2008
Near Paris, in the middle of a forest, away from outsiders gaze, shines the spectacular headquarters of Bouygues, called Challenger. One of the world’s largest...

Again about satellite dishes
04/01/2008
The attached photo illustrates a typical Ashgabat residential building. Needless to say that the apartment block is...

A newspaper as change
04/01/2008
The Presidential decree on resuming subscription to Russian print mass media applies solely to Ministries and governmental agencies. Yet...

The twelve Turkmen months
04/01/2008
A New Year's fairytale by Farid Tukhbatullin

The Turkmen deserters
21/12/2007
The recruits desert the Turkmen army and even manage to sell their military uniforms and occasionally weapons on the way home from the...

Preventive diplomacy and preventive measures
21/12/2007
Finally a number of visits paid by distinguished guests to Turkmenistan were completed, and after December 12 the Ashgabat residents gave a sigh of...

The country of TV aerials and broadcasting receivers
14/12/2007
In the time between the death of S.Niyazov and the elections of the new president of Turkmenistan a kind of transparency and glasnost were observed in...

Creating a favourable image
14/12/2007
The readers in the post-Soviet countries are familiar with an interesting edition – the international magazine "Turkmenstan". Although the magazine is...

Turkmen mass media are twins
14/12/2007
Such established liberties as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of self-expression are non-existent in Turkmenistan...

Ruhnama - the beginning
16/01/2008
The story of Ruhnama, and how it became the symbol of Niyazov dictatorship

Shadow Of The Holy Book
05/11/2007
Featured Film Premiere: Shadow Of The Holy Book.

Offering Nokia a new perspective
04/03/2008
A response to the 27.2.2008 Helsingin Sanomat article "Nokia doing business with Turkmenistan dictatorship" was made by the Nokia Executive...

Ruhnama continues its success
03/03/2008
The Tatar language edition of the first volume of Ruhnama, initiated by the OAO KAMAZ company, was presented...

What do turkmen dissidents & human rights activists think of Nokia-Siemens operations in Turkemenistan
29/02/2008
I use Nokia cellular phone myself and I don't have anything against this company celling its products and services...

NOKIA-SIEMENS DELIVERS EQUIPMENT FOR TURKMENISTAN DICTATORSHIP CELLULAR NETWORK
27/02/2008
According to a news bullettin published by the Turkmenistan government, Nokia-Siemens Networks is planning and producing equipment for Turkmenistan cellular...

Cockroach races in the Turkmen TV
25/02/2008
The more harshly the Turkmen President criticizes the local mass media, the more likely the grounds may arise for further...

Turkmenistan updates personal files of theatre employees
25/02/2008
On January 28 the human resources manager of the State Academic Theatre named after S. Turkmenbashi invited all staff members to...

Residents dissatisfied with free petroleum
17/02/2008
The purchase of additional fuel will cost a fortune. The fuel price increased 8 times after free fuel limits were introduced for vehicles...

Dancing banned in Turkmenistan
17/02/2008
The President permitted to restore opera and circus. Ballet is still banned. In the meantime, the dance groups are experiencing problems....

Bouygues avoids discussion
17/01/2008
Short documentary: Bouygues refuses to talk about its Turkmen operations

Siemens created wiretapping system for Turkmenistan secret police
12/12/2007
the construction source of a major wiretapping system for Turkmenistan’s secret police. In his article...

A Day in November
04/12/2007
Whether we want it or not, the 25 November went down in the history of Turkmenistan. On this day, five years ago...

Political grounds
04/12/2007
The list of convicts pardoned in September in Turkmenistan included those sentenced on political grounds. The press has already...

Open Letter To Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdymuhammedov
05/11/2007


Turkmen dissident TV
05/11/2007
Computer animated satires made by Ruslan Tuhbatullin

Shell Avoids Discussion - Video
05/11/2007
Arto Halonen & Kevin Frazier try to reach Shell

Shell Avoids Discussion - Article
05/11/2007
Shell engaged in long negotiations with the Turkmenistan government about a gas pipeline that was to be constructed in that country.

Turkmenistan background information
05/11/2007
Facts and background information about Turkmenistan

Turkmenistan introduction
05/11/2007


Trailer of Shadow of the Holy Book
05/11/2007
Trailer of Arto Halonen's documentary film Shadow of the Holy Book

Director's Note – Shadow Of The Holy Book
05/11/2007
Director Arto Halonen's notes on his film Shadow of the Holy Book

Three reasons of the turkmenian tragedy
05/11/2007
Khalmurad Soinov and his daughter Lejla Ilvesviita talk about their personal experiences of Turkmenistan

Amnesty and Turkmenistan
14/11/2007
Interview with Ville Forsman, Director of Amnesty International Turkish section

Access without freedom
16/11/2007
With less than 1% of the population online Turkmenistan is one of the least connected countries.

No trust in state TV channels in Turkmenistan
04/12/2007
Four state TV channels and the state radio broadcast in Turkmenistan. Both of these are virtually the same in terms...

Turkmenbashi Blues
28/11/2007
Music video

What news do Turkmen newspapers cover?
26/11/2007
Both the incumbent Turkmenistan President and his predecessor have repeatedly criticized the mass media for their lack of expressiveness...

Welcome?
26/11/2007
Several foreign TV channels at once started airing 30-second video clips advertising Turkmenistan and ending with the phrase “Welcome to Turkmenistan!”...

Relatives of enemies of people
26/11/2007
In these days many mass media reporters (except for the Turkmen ones) discuss the lists of prisoners...

Berdymuhammedov
26/11/2007
Computer animated satire made by Ruslan Tuhbatullin

Somebody picks cotton, somebody – money
24/11/2007
The 2007 cotton picking campaign in Turkmenistan turned into a period of receiving much money. However, it is...

Spies are everywhere
21/11/2007
Since 20 June a real spy scare has started in Turkmenistan after President S.Niyazov announced the exposure of Annakurban Amangylydjov, a former teacher of geography...

Farid Tuhbatullin - Confession of An Innocent Man
24/11/2007
Open letter of human rights activist Farid Tuhbatullin

A policy of open doors is needed
05/11/2007
Anna Sunder-Plassmann of Amnesty International talks about the situation in Turkmenistan

Open letter to finnish goverment
06/03/2008
We demand government regulations to ensure the ethical actions of Finnish companies operating in oppressed countries, and to...

Berdoon(IX): Episode 3
11/07/2008
Computer animated satire made by Ruslan Tuhbatullin

The number of monuments of Niyazov decreases but his ideas remain alive
12/06/2008
Another Turkmenbashi monument has been dismantled in Ashgabat. It was located on the railway square of the...

Turkmen Leader Seeks Longer Term
12/06/2008
The constitutional reforms recently announced in Turkmenistan appear geared toward strengthening the powers of the president rather than...

"Seize the prostitutes!"
04/06/2008
Maral, who has recently turned eighteen, vowed not to go to the Ashgabat discos again...

Turkmenistan imposes restrictions on money transfer and parcel shipments
04/06/2008
The residents of the Lebap velayat are allowed to send a parcel overseas by post only once a month. Moreover, ...

The authorities still fear freedom of expression
04/06/2008
The 100th anniversary of People’s Artist of the USSR, a prominent dramatic artist Bazar Amanov has caused much...

Annual Report 2008: State of the World's Human Rights. Turkmenistan
04/06/2008
While President Kurbanguly Berdymukhammedov reversed some of his predecessor’s most severely criticized decisions, reforms were very limited.

Political Reform, but Little Transparency
28/05/2008
The authorities in Turkmenistan are planning a major overhaul of political institutions which would leave the country with...

High-Tech Phone Tapping
28/05/2008
As the Turkmen authorities make plans to expand the mobile phone network, users say they fear it remains all too easy to listen in on their conversations

Berdoon: Episode 2
27/05/2008
Computer animated satire made by Ruslan Tuhbatullin

Turkmen, Uzbek States Seen as Weak
12/06/2008
Two Central Asian countries are listed among the world’s weakest states despite their natural gas wealth, in a new study by a United States think-tank

Ethnic Minorities Still Under Pressure
17/06/2008
Ethnic minorities in Turkmenistan continue to be subject to surveillance and restrictions despite the change of leadership last year...

Universities to Widen Intake
04/07/2008
Universities in Turkmenistan are increasing student numbers in anticipation of a growing demand for graduates. However...

TV as a mirror reflection?
04/07/2008
On May 23, the President of Turkmenistan severely reprimanded his press secretary Kakageldy Charyyardyev for shortcomings in his work...

Demolition of the prison. Problem solved or created?
04/07/2008
On June 25 in the presence of foreign diplomats the prison building was demolished in the city of Turkmenbashi.

Turkmen Regime Embarks on New Bout of Persecution
04/07/2008
Sazak Durdymuradov, a reporter for the Turkmen service of RFE/RL, was arrested on June 20 in the town of Baharden, about 100 kilometres from the capital Ashgabat...

Solar and Wind Power for Gas-Rich State
26/06/2008
While the Turkmen authorities have started talking about creating renewable energy, there is little prospect this will come about in...

Oilmen Strike Over Exchange-Rate Change
26/06/2008
On June 11, foreign media reported that 600 workers on an oil rig belonging to the Italian company ENI went on strike in Nebitdag in the west of Turkmenistan

EU-Turkmenistan: move from words to action
26/06/2008
In a new report: Turkmenistan: No effective human rights reform, launched today, Amnesty International concludes there continue to be...

Confiscation or robbery
26/06/2008
Yesterday, June 16, the law enforcement and court officers broke into Valery Pal’s house without showing any IDs. They made...

Black market rate of dollar has become cheaper than official rate
17/06/2008
Following the signing of a decree on the currency exchange rate by the President of Turkmenistan on 30 May, rumours about the upcoming...

Conflicts in a manageable market
27/05/2008
A rigid exchange rate of manat to US dollar introduced by the Turkmen government and the welfare-oriented economy are already resulting in various conflicts

Houses in Kunyaurgench are being demolished
27/05/2008
Early May the houses located in the centre of the town of Kunyaurgench started to be demolished to be replaced by a...

In the absence of the foreign exchange market
27/05/2008
At a Cabinet Meeting held the previous day in Turkmenistan the foreign exchange market was mentioned. Up till now...

Petrol only for family members
25/04/2008
According to the source close to the government, last month Berdymukhammedov’s brother-in-law...

Who will save the trees, or the "disposable" palace
17/04/2008
The idea to build a similar palace for holding the annual sessions of the Khalk Maslakhaty in each velayat belongs to the previous President...

Another yet unimplemented programme
17/04/2008
In mid-December 2007, a National Programme for Transformation of Social Conditions of the Population of the...

Soldiers and drugs
09/04/2008
At a meeting with the NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer the Turkmen President agreed that...

How about going to the cinema?
09/04/2008
The President has given instructions to restore the Turkmen cinema. Yet, this was only referred to cinema as a type of...

Turkmenistan has almost solved the problem of the child labour
09/04/2008
The children working at the markets are no longer seen in the country. Now many of them are forced to...

Black Monday
25/03/2008
Earlier that day a short-sighted resolution adopted by the Turkmen government on increasing the price of petrol was...

Darkness is a friend of young people
25/03/2008
The administration of the Turkmenistan Academy of Arts is actively fighting for purity of intention among its students. ..

The development of the situation with replacing satellite antennae in Ashgabat
12/03/2008
As has been previously reported, the Turkmenistan’s authorities, under the pretext of improving the appearance of...

Under Secretary of State Reuben Jeffery Visits Turkmenistan
25/04/2008
The U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs...

Senior management take advantage of staff replacements
30/04/2008
The newly-appointed executives of organizations and enterprises in Turkmenistan have started fulfilling their functions by dismissing their employees

Tightened control, or life in the crypt
30/04/2008
The executives of the organizations and companies in Turkmenistan often go to extremes in an attempt to exercise tight control over their subordinates

What is behind the festive façade?
20/05/2008
Another international conference “Makhtumkuli and spiritual and cultural vales”, devoted to the memory of...

The Chinese and Turkmen have different traditions
20/05/2008
Turkmenistan’s special services have dispersed the guests and the hosts of the reception arranged by the Chinese gas company.

Irina Kolesnik. A year in custody
15/05/2008
On May 14, 2007 I. Kolesnik, residing with her family in the Tula Oblast of Russia was detained by the law enforcement officers...

Internet failed
15/05/2008
One of the mThe Internet-cafés, which have been recently launched with grand openings, are being closed down in Turkmenistanain reasons is that...

Deprived of homes
15/05/2008
The private home owners in Ashgabat are still forced to abandon their real estate submissively in the hope to get some compensation.

Fighting for morality
08/05/2008
The Turkmen TV personnel are expected to demonstrate the creative approach when preparing the TV programs

Art belongs to… the Turkmen authorities
08/05/2008
We have already reported that the dance groups are forbidden to perform without a license. Instead, they are allowed to perform at...

Turkmenistan’s bazaar economy
30/04/2008
The US dollar is gradually becoming the main currency in Turkmen bazaars...

The restoration of the Turkmen opera proves to be a challenge
12/03/2008
A month ago the Turkmen President gave directions to restore opera in the country with the first...

united states

Shell refinery plagues African-American neighbourhoods
26/11/2007
Port Arthur, Texas: Environmental injustice by Shell refinery plagues African-American neighbourhoods