Nurgeldy Halykhov's work visa. Photo courtesy of turkmen.news
Independent journalist Nurgeldy Halykhov of Turkmen.news was denied boarding a flight from Ashgabat to the UAE, despite holding a valid work visa. The incident, reported by Turkmen.news, occurred on January 12.
At Ashgabat airport, Halykhov was detained for several hours and interrogated in a separate room before being officially barred from leaving the country.
The trouble began at the customs inspection point after Halykhov had already checked in for his flight. His registered luggage was returned for additional screening, observed by several customs and border officials. Halykhov noted that he overheard customs officers referring to a directive identifying him as a suspect with potentially prohibited items in his luggage. However, after a thorough inspection, nothing incriminating was found, and he proceeded to passport control.
There, Halykhov was escorted to a separate room for further questioning by security officers. They asked if he had any relatives with criminal records and referred to his own recent conviction on fraud charges. The officers then summoned a shift supervisor, who questioned him about his travel plans and work in the UAE. At one point, the supervisor showed Halykhov a video featuring Turkmen massage workers in Dubai and asked if he knew them.
Finally, at the border control booth, Halykhov was informed that he was under a «temporary travel restriction.» He was advised to seek clarification from the Migration Service.
According to Turkmen.news, there are no legal grounds for restricting Halykhov’s travel. Article 24, Section 1 of Turkmenistan's Law on Migration guarantees citizens the right to leave and re-enter their country. Article 30 specifies the conditions under which travel may be restricted, none of which apply to Halykhov.
Travel bans without explanation are a common practice in Turkmenistan, affecting not only activists but ordinary citizens. Last year, Rahat Japarov, the goalkeeper of Turkmenistan’s national football team, was also barred from leaving the country.
