On October 4, 2016, human rights activist Gaspar Matalaev was arrested in Turkmenistan, Central Asia. He has reportedly been subjected to torture by electric current to force him to confess to false charges of minor fraud. Repeated promises of his release have been broken.1
Gaspar is a prominent human rights activist in the country, where he has been monitoring the state-orchestrated forced labor system in the Turkmenistan cotton fields. His work has helped draw attention to the Turkmen Government’s annual mobilization of tens of thousands of citizens forced to pick cotton under threat of punishment.
Gaspar’s arrest came two days after he published a report on the extensive use of forced labor and child labor in the 2016 cotton harvest and one day after the Minister of National Security was severely reprimanded by the Turkmen President at a State Security Council meeting for not properly repressing activism in the country.2 It is clear Gaspar’s arrest was politically motivated.
This is not the first time the Turkmenistan Government has prosecuted human rights activists on politically motivated charges. This year, the United Nations Human Rights Committee has called on the Turkmen Government to end the harassment, torture and detention of those “seeking to document forced labour in the cotton harvest such as Gaspar Matalaev”.3 It is now up to the international community to speak out and demand action on behalf of the courageous monitors like Gaspar who put themselves at risk to help others.
Please sign our petition to demand the Turkmen Government immediately release Gaspar and allow him to continue his work in safety.
Photo courtesy of Alternative Turkmenistan News: https://habartm.org/archives/5844
Sue D.,
Joseph B.,
Susan S.,
Elżbieta K.,
RAF P.,
Praise to the Lord. I wish to be party to your action against injustice. I believe we are supporting someone who deserves justice. Unless there are illegal deeds the law does not catch up with a person. All the same trusting Freedom United let us lend our support to this fellow being in need.
teachers should focus on only teaching a nation can only become strong if there is study .someone who works unmotivated never does a job well done
Thus saith Jehovah
psalms 41:1
Blessed is he who cares for the lowly; + On the day of calamity Jehovah will save him
exodus 22 22a24 Do not afflict any needy 23 If you afflict them in any way, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry 24 and my wrath will be kindled
Keep the pressure on these criminals, that is the only way to help stop governments from using these horrible tactics, abusing their power , taking away human and animal rights . This has to stop now !!
a
The culture in this country and those surrounding it is very different to our western ideals. The only reason their governments make anti-slavery legislation is to be able to trade. They have no intention of endorsing it. They do not care if most of their children forego education. They prefer them to be uneducated as they can more easily exploit them. Those with money and power send their children to the west to educate them but not to encourage them in critical thinking.