The human rights center “Memorial” and the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights report that on 11 October, 2021 a few Turkmen activists were assaulted in Istanbul.
At about 8 p.m. unidentified individuals attacked the Turkmen nationals who were leaving the office of the organization “Oghuz Culture, Cooperation and Education” on Sogutluçeşme street.
Two activists and a visitor to the organization sustained injuries.A civil activist Aziz Mamedov was severely punched in the face and has nose was fractured.
The Chairperson of the Association of Oghuz Culture Nurmukhamed Annayev sustained an injury to his left hand and his wallet and documents were stolen.The third victim (the name is being confirmed) sustained an injury to his head injury with a heavy implement.
The crime was registered with the police and medical assistance was rendered to those injured.
The activists claim that one of the attackers resembles a person, who had assaulted Turkmen protesters in Istanbul on 1 August, 2021. This time, according to them, he had “an implement which looked like a metal knuckle duster” in his hands.
The activists believe that the assault is related to the upcoming trip of Nurmukhamed Annayev to the ODIHR/OSCE event scheduled to take place in Warsaw on 14-15 October, where he was going to give a speech criticizing the Turkmen regime.
According to the report, the Turkmen authorities allegedly use criminal groups to retaliate against dissidents and activists of the protest movement in Turkey and Central Europe.The post Turkmen activists beaten in Istanbul first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.