Rights Group Criticizes Arrest Of RFE/RL Turkmen Journalists

Aleksandr Narodetsky, the head of RFE/RL's Turkmen Service (RFE/RL)

PRAGUE, March 15, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- The International Press Institute (IPI) today condemned the arrests of two Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty correspondents in Turkmenistan and the authorities' failure to provide information about the journalists' whereabouts.

A number of other rights groups, including Amnesty International and Reporters Without Borders, have also expressed concern.

The two -- Meret Khommadov and Jumadurdy Ovezov -- were arrested in Turkmenistan's Mary region on March 7.

Neither their families nor Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty have been able to obtain information about the two.

Amnesty called on Turkmen authorities to refrain from torturing the journalists. The group said the authorities are under an obligation to reveal the journalists' whereabouts and give them access to legal counsel.