Leaked data shows Turkmenistan tracks 613 citizens for overseas pursuit

Leaked data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) of Turkmenistan reveals a systematic list of citizens targeted for arrest based on political and religious grounds. The documents, analyzed by turkmen. news and OCCRP, indicate that the state maintains a long-term infrastructure for tracking and extraditing critics living abroad.

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Gurbanguly Myalikgulyevich Berdimuhamedov

By late 2022, the registry contained 613 individuals, including both Turkmen and foreign nationals. Of these, 93 were flagged under political charges, including "terrorism," "conspiracy to seize power," and the "creation of illegal armed structures." The records span from 1990 to late 2022, showing a continuity of persecution across three different presidencies.

Institutional Mechanisms of Control

The data shows that the Ministry of National Security (MNB) initiates over 40% of these political pursuit cases. The charges often mirror one another: 39 individuals are listed for "inciting social, national, or religious hatred," while 18 are accused of "conspiracy to seize power." In several instances, criminal charges are applied to civil activists only after they begin public advocacy.

Case evidence:

• Saddam Gulamov: Accused of "calls for violent seizure of power." After living in Russia and criticizing the Berdimuhamedov administration, Gulamov was extradited in March 2024 and sentenced to five years in a general regime colony.
• Dursoltan Taganova: An activist for labor migrants in Turkey. While other political targets are flagged by the MNB, Taganova was listed by the police under a charge of "fraud," a claim that surfaced only after her activism became public. Taganova secured asylum in Canada in 2025.
• Nurmuhammet Annayev: A blogger currently seeking asylum in the Netherlands. Annayev appears on the MVD list and reports a pattern of digital and physical harassment, including a knife attack in Amsterdam and the systematic deletion of his social media accounts.

The Gap Between Law and Practice

While the Constitution of Turkmenistan defines the country as a secular state guaranteeing freedom of religion, evidence suggests religious charges are used to dismantle independent communities. Members of the Bahram Saparov group, who studied religious texts, were detained in 2013. The government later admitted to the UN Human Rights Committee that some detainees died in custody, attributing the deaths to "chronic diseases." However, reports indicate deaths resulted from torture and malnutrition; one deceased prisoner, Narkuly Baltayev, reportedly weighed less than 25kg at the time of death.

Transnational Repression and Digital Warfare

The state utilizes both diplomatic and technical tools to silence overseas critics. In Turkey, activists have been detained and deported after their passports expired-a situation exacerbated by Turkmen consulates refusing to renew documents locally and demanding citizens return to the country.

Technically, the security apparatus employs "carpet blocking" of IP addresses and the degradation of internet speeds within Turkmenistan to prevent citizens from accessing YouTube and TikTok streams. To remove content from abroad, the state uses mass reporting campaigns. Nurmuhammet Annayev provided evidence of reports filed with YouTube alleging "privacy violations" using fictitious identities to trigger automated content removal. He reports 17 TikTok accounts were lost through this method.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan did not respond to requests for comment regarding the leaked list or the specific charges against the listed individuals.