Turkmen Activist Arrested For Hooliganism
October 22, 2009
ASHGABAT -- Police in Dashoguz detained Andrey Zatoka, a prominent environmental activist, on October 20, RFE/RL's Turkmen Service reports.
Zatoka, 53, was reportedly attacked by a vagrant in a market in Dashoguz, in northern Turkmenistan.
Zatoka tried to detain his attacker until police arrived. However, officers detained him instead of the vagrant.
Zatoka was accused of hooliganism and causing physical injuries to the unknown person.
Zatoka was detained in December 2006 for hoologanism. In January 2007, he was released under pressure from the international community when a court gave him a conditional release upon his pledge not to leave the country for three years.
He considers his arrests politically motivated.