Protest in Stockholm urges Bulgaria not to extradite Turkmen opposition member As reported by BBC

Excerpt from report by Turkmen opposition website Watan.ru on 24 February

On 23 February, a protest action was organized in Stockholm in front of the Bulgarian embassy in Sweden against the unlawful detention of a member of the [opposition] Watan Movement, Annadurdy Hajyyew [former deputy chairman of the Turkmen Central Bank], in Bulgaria.

The protest action was attended by the leader of the Watan Movement, Hudayberdi Orazow; dissidents - poet Shiraly Nurmuradow; writer Akmuhammed Velsapar; the widow of dissident Hoshaly Garayev, who had been killed in Nyyazow’s prison; and other representatives of the Turkmen diaspora.

Bulgaria is knowingly and grossly violating its obligations to protect human rights. The proceedings against Annadurdy are reminiscent of trials in Stalin’s times when defendants had no rights and their fates were decided in political offices. Annadurdy’s extradition to Turkmenistan would be tantamount to killing him. Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union has so far been only a geographical phenomenon.

We will continue to fight for Annadurdy Hajyyew.

Watan Movement 23 February 2007