Baikhanov [Bayhanov], Akmukhammet

Gender: .
State of concern: .

Who, Why and How exiled:

The former general director of the Gundogar confectionery in Ashgabat, 59-year-old Akmukhammet Baikhanov was imprisoned in Turkmenistan in 2003-2007 on charges of having links with the opposition (Fergana news, 2016).

Category of exile: . (Definitions here.)
Alleged affiliation: Hereket, Opposition group.

Founder of Hereket — the Association of democratic movements in 2014 (Zverev, 2015; Fergana news, 2016).


Which stages experienced: Stage 1   Stage 2   Stage 3. (Definitions here.)
Date of most serious incident: 2003.
Violence experienced: .

Stage 1 details (accusations/ charges/ Interpol notice/ extradition requests):

In 2016, a group of unknown people attacked Akmukhammed Baikhanov in Balashikha, Russia. Baykhanov says that it was a reaction to his last book “Lost Souls of Ovadan-depe,” memoirs where Baikhanov describes prisons in Turkmenistan, particularly, the secret jail of Ovadan-depe (Eurasia Daily, 2016).

In April 2016, he has informed the human rights Centre Memorial, that he is under surveillance and  subject to intimidation from a group of men that he believes belong to the Turkmen government (Fergana news, 2016).

In April 2016, employees of the Ministry of National Security (MNS) of Turkmenistan detained Akmukhammet's brother Nazar Baikhanov at his workplace in Ashgabat (Fergana news, 2016).

Stage 2 details (arrest/ detention/ extradition):

Served a four years prison sentence, 2003-2007. Spent several years in Ovadan-Depe, a notorious prison outside Ashgabat (Reuters, 2015; Najibullah and Tahi, 2013).

Stage 3 details (attack/ abduction/ rendition/ torture/ assassination/ death):

Baikhanov was put in prison in the context of the prosecution of persons accused of attempting to assassinate Niyazov in 2002 (Reuters, 2015). Allegedly tortured whilst in prison (Zverev, 2015).

International arrest warrant: .

Countries of transit, asylum and/or residence: , , .

Legal status (refugee/ asylum seeker/ resident):

He has a double nationality, Russian and Turkmen (Fergana news, 2016).

 

Current status:

In 2013 he escaped to Turkey where he founded the opposition movement Hereket (Radio Free Europe, 2014; Ferghana news, 2016).

Since 2014, he lives in the suburbs of Moscow where he critically expresses his opinion against the Turkmen government (Fergana news, 2016).

Acquired citizenship: .

Press sources:

Farangis Najibullah and Muhammad Tahir, 'Campaign Seeks Proof That Former Turkmen Minister Alive', Radio Free Europe, 10th October 2013. [Online]. Available at: http://www.rferl.org/content/missing-turkmen-minister/25132776.html

 

Fergana news, "Покажите их живыми!»: Туркменские спецслужбы усиливают преследование диссидентов в России". 21 April, 2016. [Online]. Available at: http://www.fergananews.com/news.php?id=24684

 

Eurasia Daily, 2016. "Weeks before constitutional reform, Turkmen authorities are neutralizing dissidents" 25 August, 2016. [Online]. Available at: https://eadaily.com/en/news/2016/08/25/weeks-before-constitutional-reform-turkmen-authorities-are-neutralizing-dissidents

 

Zverev, A (2015). "ИНТЕРВЬЮ-Ослабленная несвободой Туркмения - легкая добыча исламистов -- бывший узник". [Online]. Available at: http://ru.reuters.com/article/topNews/idRUKCN0SD1T220151019