On October 14-15, Warsaw (Poland) hosted the annual conference of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).
On the first day of the conference, a session was held on the problems of democratic development of the countries of the world. The speakers, political scientists and human rights activists, spoke about the difficulties faced by democratic systems and about the pressure of governments on civil society.
Yuri Dzhibladze, a member of the coordinating committee of the Civil Solidarity human rights platform, expressed his concern that international structures and, in particular, the OSCE do not use all opportunities for dialogue with representatives of civil society, as well as promoting democratic values and civil liberties when working with governments some countries that "are no longer just harassing activists, but are waging a war against them."
After the discussion, those present in the hall were given the opportunity to ask their questions and make proposals to the OSCE. Among them were also Turkmen activists, human rights defenders and oppositionists: representative of the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation Annadurdy Khadzhiev , activist Chemen Ore , head of the opposition movement "Democratic Choice of Turkmenistan" Murad Kurbanov and chairman of the council of the Society of Oguz Culture, Cooperation and Education Nurmukhammed Annayev .
The activists recalled the political prisoners Omruzak Omarkuliyev , Mansur Mingelov , Khursanay Ismatullayeva , Pygamberdy Allaberdyev and Nurgeldy Khalykov , spoke about the persecution of Turkmen activists in Turkey, as well as that Turkmenistan does not allow its citizens stranded abroad to enter the country.
It was proposed to create and use economic leverage to put pressure on the government of Turkmenistan.
The statements and questions were commented on by Dzhibladze, who agreed with the identified problems. In his opinion, the OSCE has instruments of influence, but they are not fully used. For example, in 2003, the so-called OSCE Moscow Mechanism was used against Turkmenistan, which could be used again.
Economic mechanisms of influence go beyond the competence of the OSCE, but they can be more actively used in bilateral relations. Progress in the human rights situation should be one of the conditions for the signing of various intergovernmental treaties affecting the economic and financial spheres.
As for the attacks on activists in Turkey, everything here depends on the authorities of this country, but international pressure can also play a significant role, as was the case with Dursoltan Taganova .
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan