Europe and Central Asia Summary of Amnesty International’s Concerns in the Region, January-June 2007 subject to certain conditions. Hunger strike protests held by supporters of the prisoners were halted as a result of the circular. However, six months after the publication of the circular, there appeared to be very limited implementation with prisoners either not being made aware of the changes in regulations, being informed but not allowed to benefit from the regulations, having the regulations subjected to unacceptable conditions such as meetings being restricted to those prisoners in adjacent cells, or meetings cancelled due to bureaucratic hurdles. Widespread demonstrations were held to protest the continued isolation of convicted PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan together with claims that he was being poisoned by the prison authorities. He is being held as the sole prisoner on İmralı island. A report published on 12 March, produced by doctors sent by the Istanbul coroner's office to examine the claims, found no evidence to support the accusations of poisoning. Protests continued with demands made for an independent medical examination of the poisoning claims. On 20-23 May a delegation of the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention on Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) visited the island in order to investigate the allegations of poisoning, conditions of detention and the practical application of Abdullah Öcalan’s rights to contact with his relatives and lawyers. The findings had not been published by the end of the period under review. TURKMENISTAN 125 rights (AI Index: EUR 61/005/2007). Among other issues, AI urged to immediately and unconditionally release all prisoners of conscience; ensure that all political prisoners and those convicted in connection with the November 2002 alleged assassination attempt on President Saparmurad Niyazov are retried in proceedings which meet international standards on fairness and to which international trial observers have access; to lift travel restrictions imposed on dissidents and their families; and to introduce legislative provisions to ensure that a civilian alternative of non-punitive length is available to all those, whose conscientiously-held beliefs preclude them from performing military service. The organization also published a compilation of individual cases including prisoners of conscience, political prisoners and those that have been subjected to intimidation and harassment solely because of their family relationship with a dissident (AI Index: EUR 61/004/2007). Lack of transparency of the Citizens’ complaint commission On 19 February newly elected President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov established the State commission to review citizens’ complaints regarding the activities of law enforcement agencies (Citizens’ complaint commission) and he became its chairman. According to the pro-government internet newspaper turkmenistan.ru, one of the aims of setting up the commission was to ensure that individual rights and freedoms be defended. Recommendations to new President to address abysmal human rights record AI was concerned about the lack of transparency in establishing the commission, in publishing its rules and procedures, and in reporting on its work. Ahead of Presidential elections on 11 February, AI issued a list of recommendations calling on the next President of Turkmenistan to put an end to stifling freedom of expression, arbitrary detention and torture, and unfair trials, as well as violations of social and economic AI learnt of some cases where the Citizens’ complaint commission passed on the complaints to those government agencies that the citizens had complained about; the replies stated that the complaints were unfounded and no details were given as to how the authorities had investigated the Amnesty International AI Index: EUR 01/010/2007