Russia has extradited Ashgabat native Saddam Gulamov, born in 1991, to Turkmenistan at the request of Turkmen authorities.Gulamov was among those who openly criticized the Turkmen government and former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov for the country’s deep food and economic crises, denial of the coronavirus pandemic, and silence about the aftermath of a devastating hurricane.According to a turkmen.news source in one of the country’s security agencies, Gulamov was sentenced to eight years in prison in 2024.
He and another convicted activist are being held illegally in solitary confinement at a correctional colony.In Russia, Gulamov earned a living through occasional roles in theater and film.
He was deported to Turkmenistan in late 2023 or early 2024.In spring 2024 he was sentenced to eight years, though the specific charge remains unknown.Gulamov had openly criticized Berdimuhamedov’s regime on social media, calling him a dictator and a thief.
He urged citizens to stop fearing, stop worshiping Berdimuhamedov and his books.All of Gulamov’s videos have since been deleted.In 2020, a series of events in Turkmenistan and the government’s failure to respond appropriately sparked a wave of political interest among citizens.
Political movements and civic activists began to emerge abroad, sharing their views on how to solve pressing problems and calling on people to unite.Turkmenistan’s security services closely monitored anyone showing political or civic engagement.
When borders reopened after the pandemic, nearly all critics of Berdimuhamedov were forcibly returned home.From Turkey, several activists were deported, including Farhat Meymankuliev, Rovshen Klychev, Merdan Muhammedov, Umit Kuzybaev, Dovran Imamov, and Maksat Baymuradov, as well as more recently Alisher Sahatov and Abdulla Orusov.
Some activists managed to flee to EU countries and seek political asylum there.Until now, only two cases of extradition from Russia had been known.In 2021, Azat Isakov — a critic of Berdimuhamedov’s regime — disappeared in Moscow after sending a message saying he was hiding from security officers.
Russia’s Interior Ministry later claimed that he had “left” for Turkmenistan.In 2023, Russia deported Malikberdi Allamuradov, who had criticized the authorities for strict limits on currency conversion for students.
In 2021, Allamuradov had staged a solo picket in the town of Elista, joined a group of activists, and launched a YouTube blog.He disappeared in early December 2023, and on December 12, his family was told that he had also “left” Russia.
Later, it was revealed that he was in Turkmenistan, where he was sentenced for allegedly fighting a homeless man.Now the list of deportations from Russia has expanded to include Saddam Gulamov.
According to turkmen.news, both Gulamov and Allamuradov are being held illegally in a disciplinary isolation cell at the LB-E/12 general-regime colony.Gulamov is reportedly allowed outside only once a day — late at night — for a half-hour walk.One of the activists, Murat Dushemov, participated in online gatherings directly from inside Turkmenistan.
In 2021, he was sentenced to four years on fabricated charges.Shortly before his release, authorities staged another provocation against him in prison, accusing him of assaulting another inmate.
On September 16, he was sentenced to eight more years in prison.Dushemov has since been transferred to the LB-E/11 maximum-security colony in Seydi.