Gurban Soltan Achilova
Cases- Location of case in SG report
- 2024-105-001
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2024
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: 38.969719
Longitude: 59.556278
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- Turkmenistan
- From Region
- UN body that raised the case prior to the SG report
- UN Treaty Bodies: CEDAW
- UN Special Procedures: Thematic
- Dates of prior UN action
- 11 January 2024, 2 February 2024
- Type of record
- Named individual
- Gender
- Female
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
freelance photojournalist and woman human rights defender
- Type of rights defended
- Women’s rights
- Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
- No
- Reported trigger of reprisal
attempted travel to Geneva and her engagement with representatives of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (TKM 1/2023). 106. Ms. Achilova was invited to participate in the Human Rights Week, organised by the University of Geneva and civil society from 20–24 November 2023. On 5 November 2023, one of the organizers sent a letter to the Permanent Mission of Turkmenistan in Geneva seeking the authorities’ assistance in facilitating Ms. Achilova’s safe passage to Geneva (TKM 1/2023).
- Engagement with UN body
- OHCHR: OHCHR - General
- Dates of engagement
- 18 November 2023
- Type of attempted engagement
- Participation in meeting on UN premises
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- 18 November 2023
- Location of mentioned reprisals
- Ashgabat airport
- Reprisal information
On 18 November 2023, Ms. Achilova and her daughter were stopped at Ashgabat airport en route to Geneva but were not able to travel. The customs authorities allegedly wet their passports with a cloth and then declared that they could not be used as they were ruined. (TKM 1/2023). 108. Mandate holders noted that they believed this incident to be linked to Ms. Achilova’s work and cooperation with international human rights actors, in particular the United Nations. They also noted the chilling effect on all those wishing to engage in human rights work, including cooperation with the United Nations (TKM 1/2023).
- Types of reprisals suffered
- Travel restriction
- Alleged/likely perpetrators
- State actors
- Was the reprisal based on new legislation?
- No
- Does the report make general comment about country’s environment for engagement with UN?
- No
- Further case development
- On 6 February 2024, the Government responded44 to mandate holders, informing that it had approved a new type of biometric passport in 2023. Regarding the failed departure of Ms. G. Achilova and her daughter, the Government noted that, following several failed attempts to read their passports, it was found that they could not leave the country because the documents were defective. The Government informed that Ms. Achilova and her daughter will be able to leave the country without hindrance if they present biometric passports that are in proper condition.
- On 2 February 2024, during the review of the sixth periodic report of Turkmenistan, the Committee on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women noted Ms. Achilova’s failed attempt to travel to Geneva and asked the delegation to comment on her case. The delegation responded that Ms. Achilova had been stopped at passport control because her passport was unreadable. The delegation noted that, like any other citizen, Ms. Achilova had the right to apply for a new passport and to travel wherever she wished. (CEDAW/C/SR/2038, paras. 53–59).
- According to information received by OHCHR, Ms. Achilova received a new biometric passport on 1 April 2024.
- Government response dates
- 6 February 2024; 21 June 2024
- Government response content
- On 6 February 2024, the Government responded44 to mandate holders, informing that it had approved a new type of biometric passport in 2023. Regarding the failed departure of Ms. G. Achilova and her daughter, the Government noted that, following several failed attempts to read their passports, it was found that they could not leave the country because the documents were defective. The Government informed that Ms. Achilova and her daughter will be able to leave the country without hindrance if they present biometric passports that are in proper condition.
- On 2 February 2024, during the review of the sixth periodic report of Turkmenistan, the Committee on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women noted Ms. Achilova’s failed attempt to travel to Geneva and asked the delegation to comment on her case. The delegation responded that Ms. Achilova had been stopped at passport control because her passport was unreadable. The delegation noted that, like any other citizen, Ms. Achilova had the right to apply for a new passport and to travel wherever she wished. (CEDAW/C/SR/2038, paras. 53–59).
On 21 June 2024, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report informing that a new passport was issued to Ms. Achilova, as a Turkmenistan citizen, for departure from and entry into the country. The Government noted that the right of a citizen to leave the country may be restricted under article 30 of the Migration Act, without prejudice to the principle of freedom of movement, solely on the basis of necessity, as set out in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, that is, solely for the protection of national, public order, public health or morals or the rights and freedoms of others. The Government further noted that, at the same time, the application of restrictions under article 30 of the Migration Act is based on clear criteria necessary for the protection of persons and is proportionate to the protected security interests of persons and the State as a whole.
- Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
- No
- Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
- No
- Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
- No
- How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
- 1
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
- 2025
- Follow up information provided in SG report 0
- The case of Ms. Gurban Soltan Achilova, a freelance photojournalist and woman human rights defender, was included in the 2024 report of the Secretary-General 126 on allegations of undue restrictions of her freedom of movement which had prevented her travel to Geneva and her engagement with representatives of OHCHR in November 2023. These allegations had also been addressed by special proceduremandate holders, who noted that this incident would be linked to Ms. Achilova’s work and cooperation with international human rights actors, in particular the United Nations (TKM 1/2023).126. On 7 March 2025, mandate holders addressed new allegations about attempts to poison Ms. Achilova and her daughter, their involuntary hospitalisation that prevented their travel to Geneva for the Martin Ennals Award ceremony, and Ms. Achilova’s ongoing harassment, which includes alleged surveillance, and alleged monitoring of her online communications and calls (TKM 1/2025).
- Ms. Achilova’s travel to Geneva for the award ceremony was scheduled for 20 November 2024, and she was supposed to be accompanied by her daughter. Between 10 and 18 November 2024, alleged poisoning attempts targeting Ms. Achilova and her family occurred when unknown individuals reportedly offered Ms. Achilova juice and food as part of sadaqah (an Islamic charitable tradition). Ms. Achilova set the items aside, and a guest who visited later then ate the items. This guest then allegedly experienced severe symptoms. Moreover, on the day of the planned departure, four individuals in doctor’s uniforms arrived at her house when she was preparing to leave for the airport. Ms. Achilova was forced into an ambulance and taken to an infectious disease hospital, where she was allegedly told that her hospitalization was linked to her guest’s health condition. Her daughter was hospitalized shortly after, and both remained involuntarily hospitalized for six days, until the human rights event had concluded. Reportedly, they were not diagnosed with any infectious disease. (TKM 1/2025).
- Mandate holders expressed their deep concern that Ms. Achilova remains unable to travel, emphasizing that the poisoning attempts seemed a deliberate attempt to prevent her from attending the Martin Ennals Award Ceremony. They urged the Government to end all acts of reprisal and intimidation against human rights defenders, to guarantee the safety of Ms. Achilova and her family, and to allow her to travel to carry out her legitimate human rights activities. (TKM 1/2025). In April 2025, mandate holders demanded an immediate investigation into the alleged poisoning attempt.127
- In its concluding observations of the third periodic report of Turkmenistan, the Committee against Torture also expressed concern about the information regarding efforts to prevent Ms. Achilova from travelling to Geneva for the awards ceremony in 2024. The Committee also noted with concern the numerous and consistent allegations of serious acts of intimidation, reprisals and threats against human rights defenders, journalists and their relatives, and the arbitrary arrest and imprisonment of such individuals in relation to their work (CAT/C/TKM/CO/3, para. 17).
- Followup Trends 0
- Deterioration/further reprisals
- Date of follow up 0
- 7 March 2025; April 2025; 3 June 2025
- Did the government respond? 0
- No
- Was this case followed up by a UN body? 0
- UN Treaty Bodies: CAT
- UN Special Procedures: UN Special Procedures - General