Journalist Soltan Achilova officially denied exit from Turkmenistan

The Turkmen independent journalist Gurbansoltan Achilova has received an official response from Turkmenistan’s Migration Office which reports that she is barred from exiting Turkmenistan.

Let us recall that on 11 March, 2019 Achilova was prevented from boarding an Ashgabat-Tbilisi flight to attend an international seminar. An employee of the Migration Office informed her at that time that she was not allowed to leave Turkmenistan.

After that she submitted a written letter to the agency with a request to explain the reasons behind travel restrictions imposed on her.

In the response dated 16 July and signed by deputy Chairperson of the Migration Office I. Imamberdyev, no specific reasons were mentioned.

“This is to inform you that you application dated 3.05.2019 has been closely reviewed. We have also received replies from other “relevant” organizations. As a result, your travel ban remains in force”, the letter says.

It is not explained which “relevant organizations” imposed a travel ban and for what reason.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) had previously provided support to Soltan Achilova and demanded that the Turkmen authorities lift all travel bans and allow her to travel internationally.

Gurbansoltan Achilova is one of the few independent journalists who openly work in Turkmenistan. Due to her professional activities she has been repeatedly subjected to an onslaught of physical assaults, intimidation and threats by unidentified individuals.

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