“Chronicles of Turkmenistan” has reported that Shirinbai Omarkuliev, aged 49, father of a Turkmen student and the civil activist Omruzak Omarkuliev, sentenced to a 20 year imprisonment term, died in mid May 2018.
Omruzak Omarkuliev is a Turkmen student who did a course of study in Turkey and established a student association of fellow Turkmens.In February Turkmenistan’s Central Election Commission invited Omarkuliev to participate in the Parliamentary elections as an observer.
In March 2018, without providing any explanations, the Migration Office prevented the student from departing from Turkmenistan back to Turkey.
According to sources of Radio “Azatlyk”, the young man was sentenced to a 20 year imprisonment term.
On 1 July the news outlet ANT reported that the Omarkulievs have been prevented from installing a memorial stone over the grave.
The deceased’s widow works as a secondary school teacher in Deinau etrap, Lebap velayat.On 26 June she was summoned to the village council where she was strongly recommended not to install a memorial stone over her husband’s grave indicating his name and the dates of birth and death.
When the female refused to do so, she was threatened with reprisal and was advised to “think about her daughters” (there are three children in the family a son and two daughters).
The headstone is installed six months after the burial so that the ground settles and avoids sinking. Before that a plate is installed but according to the news outlet those who had a conversation with the widow discouraged her from doing so.