Turkmenistan Bars Journalist Nurgeldi Halykov from Leaving Country After Release from Prison

January 14, 2025 – Turkmenistan-

Turkmen journalist Nurgeldi Halykov was prevented from boarding a flight at Ashgabat International Airport despite holding a valid passport and travel documents. Authorities told him he was under a travel ban, offering no written explanation or legal justification. Halykov had planned to fly to the United Arab Emirates to begin a new job in the hospitality industry, hoping to rebuild his life after years of state persecution.

Halykov, a freelance contributor to the Netherlands-based outlet Turkmen. news, had previously spent nearly four years in prison on politically motivated charges. He was arrested in July 2020 after sharing a photo of a visiting World Health Organization (WHO) delegation with the media. In September 2020, he was sentenced to four years in prison on alleged fraud charges, widely condemned as a fabricated case to punish his independent reporting. He was released in June 2024 and has since struggled with serious health problems stemming from his incarceration.

His attempt to leave Turkmenistan was met with intense scrutiny. Airport officials interrogated him for several hours, searched his belongings, and questioned him about his family. Though no violations were found, Halykov was ultimately told he was subject to a “temporary” travel ban and instructed to seek answers from the country’s migration service, which has offered no clarification to date.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemned the restriction, calling it “an appalling act of retaliation” and part of a broader pattern of state repression against independent journalists. Turkmenistan consistently ranks among the world’s most repressive countries for media freedom, where journalists face arbitrary detention, surveillance, and restrictions even after release.

The barring of Nurgeldi Halykov from traveling is a continuation of the systematic repression faced by independent journalists in Turkmenistan. Even after serving a full prison sentence for fabricated charges, Halykov remains targeted by state authorities. His case illustrates how authoritarian regimes use travel bans and administrative harassment to silence critical voices long after physical detention ends. International pressure is urgently needed to defend his right to freedom of movement and expression.

Reference – 

https://labourmission.org/en/news/reporter-nurgeldi-halykov-banned-from-leaving-turkmenistan/

Journalist Nurgeldi Halykov barred from leaving Turkmenistan