To the day of the Constitution of Turkmenistan.

Activists of the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights asked Turkmen citizens to list the absurd prohibitions that citizens face daily in independent, neutral Turkmenistan and came to the conclusion that even those rights that are enshrined in the Constitution do not work at all in practice.

There are no open, fair elections; the preparation and conduct of local and presidential elections are staged and strictly controlled by the authorities.

To speak objectively in the media, to express one's opinion, to have access to independent information, to Youtube, Facebook and other Internet applications, to have the right to private telephone conversations: it is prohibited!

Have your own opinion on the existing regime, criticize the president and the regime, fight against the cult of personality: life-threatening!

Being a blogger, oppositionist, human rights activist is - life-threatening!

Access to an independent, objective court, the right to an independent lawyer: absurd!

Only pro-government structures operate in the country. To create a civil society independent of the state and to be a member of an objective trade union, women's council: impossible!

Change the local currency at the state rate, cash out money at an ATM, fully use Western Union: a privilege not for ordinary citizens!

Do not go to “çäre” (mass forced events to exalt the cult of the president’s personality) instead of studying and working, live without giving a bribe when placing a child in a kindergarten, school, when entering a university, periodically to the authorities, security forces and other officials: it will not work !

Buy and drive a non-white car; women to get a driver's license, dye their hair in the desired color; men to grow a beard; pupils and students not to go to school, to institute in national dress: it will not work!

Travel freely to other countries; to be treated abroad; study at foreign universities of your choice; exchange an outdated passport at the consulate; in a pandemic, be entitled to an export flight; dead abroad to be buried in their home country: not allowed!

These are all the realities that ordinary citizens face every day, where instead of the Constitution, the Turkmen ban - "it isn't allowed" rules the show.

Turkmen Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights