US State Department presented reports on the human rights situation in different countries of the world, including Turkmenistan .
At the time of publication, the full report is available only in English. According to the website of the US Embassy in Turkmenistan, a translation into Russian will be available soon.
The report says that Turkmenistan remains a country with an authoritarian regime under President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and a narrow circle of people close to him. Berdymukhamedov has remained in power since 2006. In 2017, he won the next presidential election, in which, as noted by the OSCE / ODIHR (Bureau for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights), the OSCE was not represented with serious alternative candidates. In addition, changes in the country's Constitution in 2016 extended the term of the presidency from five to seven years and lifted the upper age bracket for the nomination of their candidacy. This will allow Berdymukhamedov to remain in power for an unlimited amount of time.
Human rights concerns include reports of arbitrary arrest, torture, political persecution, as well as interference with private life, censorship, violations of religious freedom, freedom of assembly and freedom of movement, forced labor in cotton fields, criminal prosecution for same-sex relationships, and general corruption.
Source: Chronicles of Turkmenistan