Turkmenistan

Gas-rich Turkmenistan has remained one of the most isolated and repressive states in the OSCE region since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Its first president, Saparmurat Niyazov, turned the country into a sort of post-Soviet North Korea, isolated, and with an all-embracing cult of the leader and repressive policies that brooked no opposition or respect for human rights. Following Niyazov’s death in 2006, he was succeeded by current President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov. Although expectations for reform were high, they did not materialize. While the country is somewhat less isolated and a token second political party was created in 2012, opposition is not tolerated, there is no independent media, space for civil society is extremely limited, travel is regulated, and non-traditional religious groups face harassment. The State Department has declared Turkmenistan a Country of Particular Concern for religious freedom since 2013, and has ranked Turkmenistan as a Tier 3 country – the lowest category - for several years in a row. The OSCE established the Centre in Ashgabat in 1998 in order to assist Turkmenistan with its transition and implementation of its OSCE commitments. The OSCE has not yet conducted a full observation of an election in Turkmenistan; limited assessment missions have concluded that the country lacks the prerequisites of a genuinely democratic electoral process. The Helsinki Commission has closely followed developments in Turkmenistan since its independence, and has held hearings and briefings on human rights and religious freedom since 1993. Most recently, the Commission has focused on the plight of persons who have disappeared in Turkmenistan’s notorious prisons.

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Hearings

Sweden’s Leadership of the OSCE

Jun 11, 2021

In 2021, Sweden chairs the world’s largest regional security organization—the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)—which comprises 57 participating States stretching from North America, across Europe, and to […]

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Press Releases

Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde to Appear at Hels...

Jun 03, 2021

WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following online hearing: SWEDEN’S LEADERSHIP OF THE OSCE Priorities for 2021 Friday, June […]

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Press Releases

Helsinki Commission Commemorates 45 Years of Advanci...

Jun 03, 2021

WASHINGTON—To commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the U.S. Helsinki Commission, on June 3, Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) and […]

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Press Releases

Helsinki Commission Leaders Mark World Press Freedom...

May 03, 2021

WASHINGTON—On World Press Freedom Day, Helsinki Commission Chairman Sen. Ben Cardin (MD) and commission leaders Sen. Roger Wicker (MS) and Rep. Joe Wilson (SC-02) issued the following statements: “Press freedom […]

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Digests

Helsinki Commission Digital Digest: December 2020

Dec 21, 2020

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Press Releases

Co-Chairman Wicker on Secretary of State’s New Desig...

Dec 10, 2020

WASHINGTON—Following U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s December 7 designations for Countries of Particular Concern (CPC) and the Special Watch List for the worst religious freedom violations, Helsinki Commission Co-Chairman […]

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Articles

Coronavirus in the OSCE Region

Oct 30, 2020

By Emma Derr, Max Kampelman Fellow A novel coronavirus was first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Termed COVID-19, the disease spread rapidly around the globe. As of October […]

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Press Releases

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama to Appear at Helsin...

Sep 09, 2020

WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following online hearing: ALBANIA’S CHAIRMANSHIP OF THE OSCE Responding to the Multiple Challenges […]

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Publications

Human Rights and Democracy in a Time of Pandemic

May 12, 2020

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic has prompted governments around the world to take extraordinary measures in the interest of public health and safety. As of early April, nearly […]

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Articles

2019 Human Dimension Implementation Meeting

Sep 13, 2019

From September 16 to September 27, OSCE participating States will meet in Warsaw, Poland, for the 2019 Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM), organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions […]

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Press Releases

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem D...

Jul 17, 2019

WASHINGTON—The Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, today announced the following hearing: STATE OF MEDIA FREEDOM IN THE OSCE REGION Thursday, July 25, […]

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Publications

The Helsinki Process: A Four Decade Overview

Jun 28, 2019

In August 1975, the heads of state or government of 35 countries – the Soviet Union and all of Europe except Albania, plus the United States and Canada – held […]

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