Brussels, 18/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 17 May, the European Union called on Turkmenistan for progress on human rights - including the freedom of expression and freedom of movement.
Underlining its concerns at “serious human rights situation” in Turkmenistan, the EU and others “urged Turkmenistan to ease major restrictions on freedom of expression, including on the internet, and to facilitate the development of independent civil society organisations”, the European External Action Service (EEAS) stated in a press release, published at the end of the EU-Turkmenistan human rights dialogue in Brussels.
The EU delegation also raised the issue of freedom of movement, and encouraged Turkmenistan to permit citizens to travel freely in and out of the country. In addition, the delegation criticised the use of torture and requested information on the status and location of prisoners who have disappeared in detention. “The EU raised individual cases and urged the Turkmenistan government to release a number of specific prisoners”, the press release adds.
According to the EEAS, the European delegation expressed the EU's readiness to support concrete reforms, and it encouraged Turkmenistan to consult international experts on the reform of the Constitution. The EU also welcomed the recent adoption of the National Human Rights Action Plan.
In 2015, Turkmenistan was ranked the 178th country in terms of press freedom. The country's civil liberties and political rights are also poor. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)