Turkmenistan: Soviet-Style, Authoritarian Regime Monopolizes Power

By Joe Schneider

Washington, 30 January 1997 (RFE/RL) - A U.S. report on human rights says 
Turkmenistan made little progress in moving
from a Soviet-era, authoritarian style of government in 1996. 

The report from the State Department was released in Washington today. 

It says the Democratic Party of President Saparmurad Niyazov retained a 
monopoly on power and the government continued
to repress all opposition political activities. 

The report says Niyazov controls the judicial system in the country. 
According to the report, the 50-member Parliament has no
genuine independent authority. 

The report says the Committee on National Security -- the successor to 
the KGB -- and the criminal police department
operate with relative impunity and have been responsible for abusing the 
rights of individuals as well as enforcing the
government's policy of repressing political opposition. 

The report cites the placement of dissident Durdymurad Khodzha-Mukhammed 
into a psychiatric hospital and the
imprisonment of dissident Ata Aymamedov as examples of how severely 
political and civil liberties are restricted in the country.
The report notes high-ranking government officials did not respond to 
inquires about the two cases. 

The report says security forces continued to beat suspects and prisoners. 
It says prison conditions remain poor and unsafe. It
goes on to say arbitrary arrests, detentions, unfair trials and 
interference with citizens' privacy remain problematic. 

03-02-97