Jehovah’s Witnesses

Jehovah’s Witnesses in Turkmenistan Prisons

In the penal system inherited by independent Turkmenistan from the former Soviet Union, there are four types of corrective labor colony regimes (or levels of security), with different levels of severity. Their designations can be translated as “ordinary,” “reinforced,” “strict,” and “special.”—See Amnesty International's report on Turkmenistan EUR 61/003/1996 01/03/1996 (March 1, 1996).

1. Dzhumanazarova, Oguldzhan Yangibayevna [Mrs.]
Nationality:	Turkmen
Date of birth:	February 11, 1962
Residence:	Seydi, Lebabskiy Velayat
Religion:	Jehovah’s Witness since 1999
Sentence:	Four years; term began in July 2001. Copy of the sentence is not available.

2. Khalikov, Ikhtiyar [Mr.]
Nationality:	Turkmen
Date of birth:	1966
Residence:	Seydi
Religion:	Jehovah’s Witness since 1995
Sentence:	Three and a half years. According to the available information, a hand-rifle was planted in his car during a police check and sentence was given on this basis. He is currently in correctional labor colony of general “ordinary” regime (ITKOR) in Seydi.

3. Annamammedov, Yazmammed [Mr.]
Nationality:	Turkmen
Date of birth:	1963
Residence:	Gyzylarbat
Religion:	Jehovah’s Witness since 1997
Sentence:	Detained in November 1999. Sentenced on December 13, 1999, to four years in minimum-security corrective labor colony (ITKOR) after being found guilty of having pistol cartridges, gunpowder, and explosive material in his home. He and his wife state that these items were planted in their home during the search by police and prosecutor. He was transferred to the city of Turkmenbashi into the middle-security colony (usually only inveterate lawbreakers are handled that way), because of refusal to give an oath of loyalty to the President and State. Annamammedov has a wife and three minor children.

Conscientious objectors:

4. Yeremeyev, Yurii [Mr.]
Nationality:	Russian
Date of birth:	1982
Religion:	Jehovah’s Witness since 1997
Sentence:	Detained on December 8, 2000. Sentenced on January 19, 2001, for conscientious objection to military service for one year and six months. Now located in minimum-security corrective labor colony (ITKOR) in the city of Seydi.

5. Zakirov, Kurban Bagdatovich [Mr.]
Nationality:	Turkmen
Date of birth:	1980
Residence:	Chärjew
Religion:	Jehovah’s Witness since June 1997
Sentence:	Imprisoned on April 23, 1999, and sentenced on May 25, 1999, to one year in minimum-security corrective labor colony (ITKOR) for conscientious objection to military service. In December 1999, he was granted a pardon but was not released because he refused to give the oath. In spring 2000, when he had completed his sentence, he was still not released but was transferred to another unit. That was because a condition of release for prisoners is to place their hand on the Koran and give an oath of loyalty to the President and the State. Kurban refused to do this. When Kurban should have been released, one officer, in the presence of others, ripped off his shoulder strap and said that Kurban attacked him. Immediately a protocol was made on him, and he was sentenced again on the charge of attacking the security service. The court determined the term of punishment: eight years in a high-security corrective labor colony (ITKSR) in the city of Chärjew. Now he has been transferred to a “special” regime (the strictest one, where, for example, he does not even have the right to go for a walk).

6. Osipov, Il'ya Vladimirovitch [Mr.]
Nationality:	Russian
Date of birth:	August 29, 1981
Religion:	Not yet a baptized Witness
Sentence:	Sentenced on July 30, 2001, to one year in prison for conscientious objection. He was granted a pardon, but because he refused to take an oath on the Koran and a picture of the President, he remained in prison. Beginning of term—November 21, 2001.

Recently released:

7. Muratov, Akhmet Yusupovich [Mr.]
Date of birth:	1980
Religion:	Not a baptized Witness
Sentence:	Sentenced the first time to one year and two months in prison for conscientious objection to military service. After he had served that sentence, he refused to place his hand on Koran to give the oath of loyalty to the President and the State. For this he was sentenced again for two years in a medium-security facility and served his term in the colony in Turkmenbashi (a place of punishment for repeated violations of prison regime, such as distribution of religious views and refusal to take an oath). He was released late in 2001.

8. Nazarov, Igor' Anatol'yevitch [Mr.]
Nationality:	Russian
Date of birth:	October 2, 1977
Residence:	Ashgabat
Religion:	Jehovah’s Witness since November 1995
Sentence:	Arrested on February 21, 2000, and was sentenced on March 14, 2000, to two years of deprivation of freedom for conscientious objection to military service. He served his sentence in the minimum-security corrective labor colony (ITKOR) in the city of Seydi. His term of sentence ended January 31, 2002. He was released in December 2001 (under amnesty, which shortened his term).
Additional information:	This was his second sentence. Igor had already been sentenced to two years in prison on the same charge on June 8, 1996.

9. Zuyev, Aleksandr Nikolayevich [Mr.]
Nationality:	Russian
Date of birth:	September 19, 1980
Religion:	Jehovah’s Witness since August 30, 1998
Sentence:	Arrested on May 25, 2000, and sentenced on June 19, 2000, for one year and six months to deprivation of freedom for conscientious objection to military service. He served his sentence in the minimum-security corrective labor colony (ITKOR) in the city of Seydi. His sentence ended on October 31, 2001.

10. Shelekhov, Nikolai Viktorovich [Mr.]
Nationality:	Russian
Date of birth:	December 26, 1981
Religion:	Jehovah’s Witness since August 30, 1998
Sentence:	Sentenced to one year of deprivation of freedom by the first court level on August 21, 2000, second level court [appeal court] on October 10, 2000, for conscientious objection to military service. Held in minimum-security corrective labor colony (ITKOR) in the city of Seydi. He completed his sentence on December 1, 2001.

11. Ashirov, Guvanchmammet (Guvanch) [Mr.]
Nationality:	Turkmen
Date of birth:	1979
Religion:	Jehovah’s Witness since 1999
Sentence:	One year and a half
Additional information:	Released on December 1, 2000. Until April 2000 he was located in the minimum-security colony in Bezmein but was transferred to the medium-security colony in Turkmenbashi. While in the Bezmein colony, he received severe treatment. He was granted amnesty in December 1999 but was not released because of his refusal to take the oath. Later he was diagnosed to have tuberculosis and was sent to a clinic.

12. Gayrov, Nuryagdy Akmedovich [Mr.]
Date of birth:	October 23, 1980
Religion:	Jehovah’s Witness since 1998
Sentence:	One year in minimum-security colony because of his conscientious objection to military service
Additional information:	Detained on December 16, 1999. Sentenced on January 19, 2000, to the minimum-security colony in Seydi. Released on November 11, 2000. He was granted amnesty on April 14, 2000, but was not released because he refused to take the oath. After 15 days of severe punishment in the isolation cell, where he was beaten to unconsciousness several times by KNB officers, he was returned to the colony for the remainder of the sentence.