On 20 November 2024, Gurban Soltan Achilova (Солтан Ачилова or also written Soltan Açylowa or Gurbansoltan Achilova), a 75-year-old photojournalist renowned for documenting human rights abuses in Turkmenistan, was forcibly detained and allegedly hospitalized under false pretenses. This incident, allegedly orchestrated by Turkmen authorities, aimed to block her travel to Geneva, Switzerland where she was set to attend a ceremony for the prestigious Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders (https://www.martinennalsaward.org/). She was in 2021 the Martin Ennals Award Finalist.
Soltan Achilova and her daughter Maya Achilova were scheduled to travel from Ashgabat (Aşgabat / Ашхабад / Ashkhabad / Ashgaba,), Turkmenistan to Geneva, but the special police pushed Soltan and Maya Achilova, as also daughter’s husband into an ambulance and brought them to the specialized hospital. Authorities claiming Achilova had a supposed “infectious disease” arrived at her Ashgabat, apartment early in the morning, forcibly taking her to a specialized medical facility. Despite showing no symptoms, she was allegedly confined for several days without explanation, her family denied access, and even her apartment keys confiscated. Allegedly one official chillingly remarked that she doesn’t need keys in the afterlife, after she asked to bring the apartment keys with her.
This marks the second consecutive year that Achilova has been prevented from attending the Geneva event. In 2023, border officials at Ashgabat Airport allegedly destroyed her passport to halt her travel. Achilova, one of the few independent journalists openly criticizing Turkmenistan’s authoritarian regime, has endured years of intimidation, physical attacks, travel bans, and threats against her family.
Achilova’s work provides a rare glimpse into life under the repressive regime, where independent media is non-existent. In addition to systematic censorship, Turkmenistan is infamous for persecuting dissenters through arbitrary arrests, torture, and even extrajudicial killings.
Achilova’s case is emblematic of the systemic oppression in Turkmenistan, where dissent is met with severe reprisals. The international community is being called upon to pressure Turkmen authorities into halting their harassment of journalists and ensuring the safety and freedoms of those brave enough to speak out.
Soltan Achilova is a pioneering photojournalist and one of the few independent voices in Turkmenistan. Her career in journalism began after the 2006 forced demolition of her family home in Ashgabat, which spurred her to document and expose human rights abuses. Achilova worked for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL – https://www.rferl.org/) and contributed to the critical website Khronika Turkmenistana (Хроника Туркменистана – https://www.hronikatm.com/). It is an independent information resource of the human rights organization Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (TIHR) – Туркменская Инициатива по Правам Человека (ТИПЧ) with more than 1 million views in a month according to the webside. The director of this news portal Farid Tukhbatullin (Фарид Тухбатуллин) and the editor in chief (Руслан Тухбатуллин) are living in Austria.
Despite facing severe restrictions, including harassment, travel bans, and surveillance, she continues to highlight issues such as forced evictions, food insecurity, inadequate healthcare, and government repression. Achilova has been recognized internationally for her courageous reporting, becoming a finalist for the 2021 Martin Ennals Award. However, Turkmen authorities have repeatedly barred her from attending ceremonies, including the 2023 award event in Geneva. Operating under constant threats, she remains committed to shedding light on the injustices faced by Turkmen citizens.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) condemns the alleged forced hospitalization and harassment of veteran photojournalist and human rights defender Soltan Achilova by Turkmen authorities. This deliberate action to obstruct her travel to Geneva, where she was to be honored for her invaluable contributions to human rights, represents a flagrant violation of press freedom and fundamental human rights. SEEMO calls for her immediate and unconditional release, as well as assurances for her safety and freedom to work without intimidation. SEEMO will continue to monitor this situation closely, advocating for accountability and respect for independent journalism in Turkmenistan.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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