AKIPRESS.COM - Turkmenistan remains one of the world’s most isolated and oppressively governed countries.
In 2018, the country faced a severe economic crisis, including food shortages. Yet the government blocked people from the most seriously affected regions from traveling to seek work elsewhere, Human Rights Watch said January 17 in its World Report 2019.
"It also evicted homeowners and demolished houses in the capital, Ashgabat, and its suburbs without providing adequate compensation. The government punishes all forms of religious and political expression and has tightened control over access to information," the statement said.
“The United States, EU, and other partners should make it clear to leaders in Central Asia that any reform agenda without human rights improvements will certainly fall short,” Williamson said. “Human rights and greater accountability should be at the heart of any growth or investment strategies to truly respond to the aspirations of citizens in Central Asia.”