The mother of former freelance correspondent for Radio Azatlyk, Rovshen Yazmukhammedov, was not allowed to leave Turkmenistan. According to "Chronicles of Turkmenistan," on February 24, the 1959-born woman was supposed to fly from Ashgabat to Frankfurt, Germany to visit her younger son. However, an immigration officer did not allow her to board, advising her to contact the local authorities instead.
Rovshen Yazmukhammedov started collaborating with Azatlyk in 2011, but within a year, he was put on the travel ban list. His family has faced constant pressure, with the journalist himself being arrested for two weeks in 2013. Later, it was revealed that he had been sentenced with a suspended prison term, which continued to loom over him.
Over time, Rovshen's communication with Azatlyk dwindled, and in 2022, he completely severed ties. However, the recent incident with his mother shows that the pressure on his family has not ceased. In Turkmenistan, there are no official exit visas, but security services unofficially compile lists of people who are not allowed to leave the country. This restriction applies not only to political activists but also to individuals like women traveling abroad to visit their fiancés or husbands. Additionally, young women are sometimes barred from leaving to purportedly protect them from engaging in prostitution.
