Press Release 12 December 2002
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut Duve, voiced his concern over the human rights situation in Turkmenistan (Photo OSCE)
OSCE Media Representative concerned at human rights situation in Turkmenistan VIENNA, 12 December 2002 -- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut Duve, voiced his concern over the recent arrest in Turkmenistan of Russian journalist Leonid Komarovsky, allegedly in connection with an attack against the country's President, Saparmurad Niyazov.
Mr. Duve also proposed holding a special session of the 55-nation OSCE Permanent Council, the Organization's main regular decision-making body, on the situation in Turkmenistan and its human rights record.
Speaking today at the Permanent Council, the Representative on Freedom of the Media underlined that Turkmenistan was still a member of an Organization that prided itself on being a family of declared democracies.
"In this 'declared democracy' the media are currently being used to humiliate and terrorise anybody who is even remotely contemplating the legitimacy of the current state of affairs", Mr. Duve said.
"Some of the television programmes I have been informed about remind me of the show trials on Soviet radio and in the newspapers during the thirties. The brutality is of the same level but the media -- especially television -- provide for a much more chilling effect."
For further information, please contact:
Alex Ivanko Senior Adviser OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Kaerntner Ring 5-7, Top 14, 2.DG 1010, Vienna Austria GMT +1
Tel.: +43-1 514 36 6205
Fax: +43-1 514 36 6260
E-mail: pm-fom@osce.org