In New York, on September 25 and 26, 2023, under the windows of the UN headquarters, where the 78th UN General Assembly is being held based on financial achievements, a rally was held in support of Ukraine against Russian aggression, in support of political prisoners and the peoples of Russia, as well as Central Asia .
The protesters called on international organizations to pay attention to the current situation in post-Soviet countries, where for many years a dictatorship has been flourishing without human rights to everything, including freedom of speech. According to the leader of the people’s movement “DEMOCRATIC CHOICE OF TURKMENISTAN” Murat Kurbanov, strict restrictions deprive residents of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, the Russian Federation, Belarus of normal social, economic and physical life…
“These bandits will not let us live. Therefore, we are speaking today to support the peoples of these countries. Their independence, their rights, their right to live freely. Putin killed several thousand Ukrainian citizens, bombed many cities, caused irreparable damage to Ukraine, destroyed his own people, and killed a lot of Russian soldiers. An unnecessary war, a war that no one understands. Nobody needs her, only Putin needs her to prove that he is Putin. This Putin is the curse of the CIS countries. Putin is the foundation of banditry and corruption in the CIS!” said the leader of the people’s democratic movement “DEMOCRATIC CHOICE OF TURKMENISTAN” Murat Kurbanov.
The speakers also demanded that the UN not allow dictators into its corridors and not support lawlessness in international organizations.
“Terrorists, dictators and murderers have no right to be in international organizations. I appeal to the Russians: Russians, the time will come when you will understand that you are being bullied and that you are being used and that this entire vile Putin regime lives at your expense. Wake up, wake up, don’t watch “Russian TV”, read the Internet, watch the news from there, speak out, speak out… More than a million people have left Russia since the beginning of the war, act everywhere abroad, unite, fight as best you can to destroy this regime. “- said the speaking representative of the Russian Federation Alexander Zaporozhtsev.
The protesters also called on the international community to pay attention to the problem of human rights violations and political prisoners. Among these, the protesters mentioned Farkhat Meymankuliev and Mansur Mingelov. The latter advocated for the rights of the Baloch people living in Turkmenistan, and in 2012 he was sentenced to 22 years in prison on a number of fake charges. The activist did not admit guilt.
Another case occurred with an opposition activist and blogger from Turkmenistan in Turkey. On May 19, 2023, Farkhat Meymankuliev was kidnapped from an apartment in Istanbul and allegedly deported to Turkmenistan. Since everything happened over the weekend, lawyers were unable to reach the detainee in time to stop his deportation. Later, according to human rights activists, on August 2, a fellow blogger from the Garashsyzlyk etrap of Lebap velayat reported that Meymankuliev was sentenced to 22 years in prison. At the same time, the blogger’s relatives do not know where and when the trial took place and under what articles he was found guilty. Activists associate the secret disappearance of a person with Turkish President Recep Erdogan.
“On May 19, 2023, in the evening at 21:30, you came to the apartment and kidnapped a person. The man is missing. You handed him over to Turkmenistan, kidnapped him, did something with him, it doesn’t matter. You kidnapped a man! This is a crime against humanity!” said Turkmen opposition leader Murat Kurbanov.
“It’s not only in Russia that dictator Putin stands and destroys and kills people in Ukraine for no reason. Who imagines himself to be an imperial and wants to do it. We stand for the freedom of all political prisoners who are kept in prison by Putin’s disgusting regime, we stand for the release of all political prisoners and arrested people who are on the territory of Turkmenistan,” added the speaking representative of the Russian Federation, Alexander Zaporozhtsev.
Activists will continue their protest action on September 29 in Berlin (Germany) in front of Bellevue Palace (the official residence of the Federal Chancellor of Germany). It is there that on this date the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov is scheduled to meet with the Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz.
