Turkmen Activist Dies In Exile

Turkmen civic activist Aygyl Tajiyeva died on July 22 in Sweden after suffering a stroke, RFE/RL's Turkmen Service reports. She was 64 years old.

Tajiyeva served as a member of Turkmenistan's parliament in the early 1990s. She was a critic of former Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov's government, and her activities resulted in repressive measures that forced her to leave Turkmenistan with her family in 2002 and settle in Sweden.

She was interviewed by RFE/RL on July 21 -- her last interview -- but she felt ill and ended the interview prematurely.

Tajiyeva was a frequent contributor to the Turkmen Service's programs. She will be buried on July 24 near Stockholm.