President Saparmurat Niyazov
744000 g. Ashgabat Apparat
Prezidenta Prezidentu Turkmenistana NIYAZOVU S.A.,
Turkmenistan
Fax: +993 12 35 51 12
Your Excellency,
On behalf of the 3,100 writers who are members of PEN American Center, we are writing in response to reports that your government is refusing to allow our esteemed colleague Rakhim Esenov to leave Turkmenistan to receive our organization’s 2006 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award next Tuesday, April 18 in New York.
Our information indicates that Foreign Minister Meredov has informed OSCE Ambassador Dzigic that Mr. Esenov was “convicted” of two felonies, contraband and inciting ethnic strife, and that his case is still under investigation. According to Foreign Minister Meredov, Mr. Esenov is therefore being denied permission to leave the country.
PEN has been following Mr. Esenov’s case closely since he was arrested and copies of his novel Ventsenosny Skitalets (The Crowned Wanderer) were confiscated in February 2004. We have vigorously protested the charges filed against him as a clear violation of his universally-guaranteed right to freedom of expression, and we have no information that he was ever convicted on these or any other charges. Mr. Esenov himself has reported that he was accused but never convicted, and that his only punishment was to agree not to leave the country for two years, a term that expired on March 6.
PEN believes any such travel ban would constitute a further violation of Mr. Esenov’s rights as guaranteed under international human rights covenants. And we adamantly insist that he be allowed to travel now that the two-year term has expired.
We have awarded Mr. Esenov our 2006 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award in recognition of his courageous efforts to assure that the citizens of Turkmenistan have access to a variety of information and ideas, and of the personal cost of these efforts. By honoring Mr. Esenov with our 2006 PEN/Barbara Goldsmith Freedom to Write Award, we underscored our urgent concern for his situation and signaled our determination to press his case internationally.
With international attention now focused on this case, we believe you have an opportunity to demonstrate that your government recognizes the fundamental human rights of freedom of movement and freedom of expression. We therefore urge you to reevaluate Mr. Esenov’s application to travel and to lift all restrictions on his movements immediately.
Sincerely,
RON CHERNOW
President, PEN American Center
LARRY SIEMS
Director, Freedom to Write and International Programs
Cc: Ambassador Meret Bairamovich ORAZOV
2207 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
FAX: (202) 588-0697
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