Europe and Central Asia Summary of Amnesty International’s Concerns in the Region, January-June 2007 Turkmenabad labour camp in the eastern Lebap region on 29 January. He was believed to be in a poor state of health and a relative reported “he is a skeleton with skin. His weight now [is] 45-50 kilograms. You will never recognize him. He is like a walking dead body." On 1 February AI called for immediate intervention on behalf of Geldy Kyarizov, drawing particular attention to his urgent need of medical treatment (AI Index: EUR 61/007/2007). By the end of the period under review the authorities had not provided him with appropriate medical treatment. Geldy Kyarizov, former director of the Government Association Turkmenatlary (Turkmen Horses), has been detained since January 2002. He was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment in April 2002 on charges including "abuse of office" and "negligence". It is alleged that the charges against him were fabricated, and that he may have been charged arbitrarily after falling out of favour with the late President, Saparmurad Niyazov. It is believed that Geldy Kyarizov was caught up in the politically motivated clampdown on senior government officials carried out by the government. As part of the clampdown numerous officials were demoted or dismissed from their workplaces, and scores were imprisoned. Possible prisoner of Vyacheslav Kalataevsky conscience Vyacheslav Kalataevsky, a leader of a Baptist congregation in the Caspian port city of Turkmenbashi, was detained by officers of the Ministry of National Security (MNS) on 12 March. When questioning him, MNS officers reportedly focused on his religious activities. On 17 March he was reportedly charged with illegal border crossing (Article 214, part 2 of the Criminal Code of Turkmenistan. The charge reportedly related to an incident back in June 2001 when he was caught up in a wave of deportations affecting Amnesty International 127 members of religious minorities who did not hold a Turkmenistani passport. Vyacheslav Kalataevsky was born in Krasnovodsk (now: Turkmenbashi) but holds a Ukrainian passport. In 2001 his residence permit was reportedly cancelled without explanation and shortly afterwards MNB officers took him across the border with Kazakstan, separating him from his wife and seven children. As he had neither money nor foreign travel documents he, together with another Baptist who had also been deported to Kazakstan, made his way back to Turkmenistan, where Vyacheslav Kalataevsky then lived without residence documents. After Vyacheslav Kalataevsky’s detention in March, his wife Valentina Kalataevskaya was refused permission to visit him for at least five weeks. She told Forum 18, the web-based news service working on religious freedom issues, that her request to send a letter to her husband was also turned down. On 14 May Turkmenbashi City Court sentenced Vyacheslav Kalataevsky to three years’ imprisonment for illegal border crossing. There were allegations that the court acted on the orders of the MNS. Vyacheslav Kalataevsky’s lawyer was reportedly summoned to the MNS during the trial in order to put pressure on her. During the trial Vyacheslav Kalataevsky was reportedly asked several questions about his congregation that were unrelated to the charge of illegal border crossing. The court of Balkanabad region turned down his appeal on 19 June. At the end of the period under review he was serving his sentence in Seydi labour camp in eastern Turkmenistan. There are strong indications that Vyacheslav Kalataevsky was targeted – both back in June 2001 and in 2007 – for peacefully exercising his internationally recognized right to freedom of religion. If these allegations are confirmed AI would adopt Vyacheslav Kalataevsky as a prisoner of conscience. AI Index: EUR 01/010/2007