Four men in white laboratory coats showed up at the Ashgabat apartment of veteran human rights defender and photojournalist Soltan Achilova, claimed they suspected she had an infectious disease and forcibly bundled her into an ambulance that took her to a hospital, according to a November 20 dispatch from Human Rights Watch (HRW).

Soltan Achilova (Credit: Martin Ennals Foundation).

The move, said the New York-based rights group, resulted from Turkmenistan’s authorities going to to extreme lengths to stop 75-year-old Achilova (video) from travelling to Geneva for events hosted by the Martin Ennals Foundation, honouring her achievements.

“Farid Tuhbatullin, a Vienna-based human rights defender who works closely with Achilova and spoke with her several times throughout the day she was detained, said that when leaving the apartment, Achilova tried to lock the door. The men detaining her grabbed and confiscated her keys, telling her: ‘What do you need these for?’” wrote Rachel Denber, HRW’s deputy director, Europe and Central Asia division.

She added: “Achilova’s daughter and son-in-law arrived at her apartment 15 minutes later to take her to the airport and found one of the lab-coat clad men still there. He claimed that since the couple had come into contact with Achilova, they too had to be tested.

“At the hospital, staff took blood from Achilova but offered no information on which disease she was allegedly suspected of having. Staff later told her that she tested positive and would need to remain at the hospital for an unspecified period of time.

Achilova, her daughter, and son-in-law were forced to spend the night at the hospital.”

The spectacle of men in white coats forcibly taking Achilova and her family to an infectious disease hospital “might seem like a plot from a dystopian film, but it is the harsh reality of a government who fears a courageous woman”, observed Denber. Turkmenistan’s authorities have a long record of interfering with freedom of movement, particularly that of people like Achilova, who are critical of the country’s severely repressive government, she said.

“Indeed,” she added, “it is a common occurrence for authorities at passport control to simply stop Turkmenistan citizens from leaving the country without explanation. Last year, when Achilova and her daughter tried traveling to Geneva also for a Martin Ennals event honoring her, border authorities tampered with their passports, then claimed the women could not travel as the documents were damaged.

“Turkmenistan’s authorities should immediately release Achilova and her family from their arbitrary forced confinement in the hospital and allow her to travel to Geneva as planned.”