Alisher Sakhathov and Abdulla Orusov. Photo: turkmen.news
Turkmen opposition bloggers Alisher Sakhathov and Abdulla Orusov, who were due to be released from a Turkish deportation center following a court ruling, have been missing since July 24, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW).
HRW reports that the two men had been held in deportation centers since April 28. On June 13, a lower court upheld their deportation orders, but on July 14, the Constitutional Court issued an injunction temporarily suspending the deportation and immediately notified Turkish migration authorities. On July 24, the deportation center in Edirne issued documents confirming their release.
According to the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, the last known contact came on the evening of July 24, when Sakhathov called his wife, Gullala Hasanova, saying he was still being held. On July 28, Hasanova filed a missing persons report with the police in Sinop, where the couple resided. Authorities confirmed that as of that date, neither Sakhathov nor Orusov had crossed Turkey’s borders or appeared in any detention facility records. The Sinop prosecutor’s office opened a criminal investigation into their disappearance on July 29. Their lawyer has requested access to surveillance footage from the Edirne deportation center.
According to Turkmen.news, citing an anonymous source, the two bloggers were secretly deported to Turkmenistan on the morning of July 28. If confirmed, this would mean Turkish authorities violated the court-ordered suspension of deportation.
HRW is urging the Turkish government to uphold its legal obligations and ensure the men are not handed over to Turkmenistan.
«Alisher Sakhathov and Abdulla Orusov face serious risk of harm either in Turkey or through secret return to Turkmenistan. Turkish authorities must urgently investigate their disappearance and ensure they are not deported to a country where they face likely persecution,» said Rachel Denber, deputy director of HRW’s Europe and Central Asia division.
Sakhathov and Orusov were detained on April 28 in Sinop and later transferred to a deportation center in Ankara. In early May, they were officially denied international protection but filed appeals. Turkish law allows deportation even before a final court decision. According to the Turkmen Helsinki Foundation, the deportation order was based on Article 54(d) of Turkey’s Law on Foreigners and International Protection, which refers to individuals deemed threats to public order, safety, or health.
In recent years, Turkey has increased its cooperation with Turkmenistan on the extradition of dissidents. There have been multiple reports of activists deported to Turkmenistan facing harsh persecution. One such case involved Farhad Meymankuliev, who was sentenced to 22 years in prison. The fate of others remains unknown.
