In November 2024, The Turkmenistan Helsinki Foundaton for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch published a joint report, “It’s Like I live in a Cage’: Turkmen Authorities’ Denial of Passports to Turkmen Citizens in Türkiye.” The report describes the hardships hundreds of thousands Turkmenistani citizens face after being denied passport renewals by the Turkmenistani authorities through consular services abroad, in particular in Türkiye, compelling them to return to Turkmenistan.
Upon returning to Turkmenistan, many of citizens again face serious difficulties. Even after obtaining a new passport, they cannot travel abroad. Migration officials arbitrarily impose multi-year travel bans on certain categories of Turkmenistani citizens, verbally claiming that these bans are a form of punishment. These citizens have families and relatives abroad, whose plans are disrupted.
By arbitrarily imposing travel bans, the Turkmenistani authorities grossly violate citizens’ fundamental right to freedom of movement. These practices raise serious concerns about the state’s growing control over Turkmenistani nationals, both at home and abroad.
Research by human rights activists has documented that this problem has become systemic and prolonged. In November 2024, human rights activists (THF and HRW) called on Ashgabat to start issuing passports to citizens through its consular and diplomatic missions. However, Turkmenistani authorities have not acted. Political will is needed to resolve this issue.
Mr. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, we urge you to declare a “passport amnesty” for Turkmenistani citizens who are currently stranded abroad without legal status, without valid identification documents, due to Turkmenistani authorities’ denial of passports. The decree should ideally include the following provisions:
• Define the duration of the amnesty and specify the categories of citizens to whom it will apply.
• Allow citizens to apply for and receive new biometric passports through consular and diplomatic missions abroad.
• Abolish the migration authorities’ arbitrary imposition of foreign travel bans, as a form of punishment on people whose passports have expired, were lost or stolen while abroad, due to their inability to obtain identity documents abroad.
• Ensure Turkmenistani citizens have the opportunity to check online for any restrictions on their ability to leave the country.
Mr. President Serdar Berdimuhamedov, issuing a “passport amnesty” will uphold the guarantees written in the Turkmenistani passport: “The owner of this passport is under the protection of Turkmenistan.” Such an amnesty will also enable Turkmenistan, which is a party to several international human rights treaties relevant to freedom of movement, to ensure the right to freedom of movement of Turkmenistani citizens, in line with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (Article 12).
International NGOs and human rights defenders:
1. Tadzhigul Begmedova, Turkmenistan Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Bulgaria)
2. Farid Tukhbatullin, Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights (Austria)
3. Vyacheslav Mamedov, Democratic Civil Union of Turkmenistan (Netherland)
4. Vitaly Ponomarev, HRD (Russia)
5. Dr. Leyla Yunus, Institute for Peace and Democracy (Netherlands)
6. Dr. Arif Yunus, Institute for Peace and Democracy (Netherlands)
7. Ivar Dale, Norwegian Helsinki Committee (Norway)
8. Ulla Klötzer, Women for Peace (Finland)
9. Yevgeniy Zhovtis, Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law (Kazakhstan)
10. Denis Dzhivaga, Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law (Kazakhstan)
11. Galym Ageleulov, Liberti (Kazakhstan).
