4/2/2018 Free Gaspar Matalaev – Victim of Forced Labor Monitoring in Turkmenistan | Альтернативные новости Туркменистана

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12:53 02.04.2018 Понедельник

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(https://habartm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Gaspar-Matalayev.jpg)

Gaspar Matalaev

(https://habartm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Gaspar-Matalayev-cotton.jpg)

Matalaev in the cotton field in Farab region

(https://habartm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Gaspar-Matalayev-page2.jpg)

Kurbanova’s testimony

(https://habartm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Gaspar-Matalayev-page3.jpg)

Testimony continued

Free Gaspar Matalaev – Victim of Forced Labor Monitoring in Turkmenistan20.03.2017 (https://habartm.org/archives/6620) в рубрике News in English (https://habartm.org/archives/category/news-in-english). Метки: Хлопок (https://habartm.org/archives/tag/cotton) 1188

Gaspar Matalaev – resident of Turkmenabat(https://habartm.org/archives/6308) and a relative of ATN’s editorRuslan Myatiev, has been held in custody since October 5, 2016.In November the Turkmen court sentenced him to three years inprison on false “fraud” charges. The real reason behind hisimprisonment is Matalaev’s involvement in the forced labormonitoring (https://habartm.org/archives/6347) in Turkmenistanduring cotton harvesting.

Matalaev confessed to fraud under torture(https://habartm.org/archives/5221) with electric shocks.

Despite the fact that his charge is considered of mediumseriousness and other people with the same charge have beenpardoned both in December 2016 and in February 2017, bothpresidential amnesties bypassed Matalaev. This also points to the

political nature (https://habartm.org/archives/5973) of his persecution.

Gaspar Matalaev (34) – one of the forced labor (https://habartm.org/archives/4443) monitors of Alternative TurkmenistanNews (ATN), was arrested at night on October 4, 2016. On assignment from ATN he repeatedly visited collection points andtraveled to the cotton fields to interview doctors, teachers and other public sector workers forced to pick cotton(https://habartm.org/archives/5286) under threat of dismissal. He asked them why they go to pick cotton instead of teachingstudents or treating patients. Matalaev also spoke with children who had to miss school to replace their parents in thecotton fields or who served as hired workers to earn money to support their families.

On October 2 ATN published Matalaev’s first photo report fromFarab region titled “They bring people to cotton fields in the backof a truck, like sheep for sale.” (https://habartm.org/archives/5844)Two days later Turkmenistan’s president GurbangulyBerdymuhamedov severely reprimanded(http://turkmenistan.gov.tm/_eng/?id=6539) the minister of nationalsecurity Dovrangeldi Bayramov. The reason for the reprimandwas Bayramov’s «improper performance of duties, weakeningcontrol over the activities of subordinate services.»

The same day at midnight four police officers in plain clothes cameto Matalaev’s home.

They demanded he went with them, bringing his mobile phone andthat of his younger brother. The police said it “had to do withinternet and photos.”

Several hours later Matalaev’s family tried to find out hiswhereabouts (https://habartm.org/archives/3408). They visited several detention centers(https://habartm.org/archives/6308) until they learned that he was being held in the city police department. At around 3 a.m.the police called the family from Matalaev’s mobile phone and said that he would be freed in two hours. But this neverhappened to date.

His family wasn’t allowed to see him though on October 6, 2016 the policepromised a visit. They also asked the family members to bring a parcel for himwith warm clothes and food. The parcel was accepted but the visit was denied.While awaiting this decision, the family noticed an ambulance arriving at thepolice. It is likely that the ambulance was called for Matalaev as there were only2-3 other people waiting for a visit.

Though he was held in the police, officers of the Ministry of National Security(MNS) interrogated him. They tortured Matalaev with electric shocks. Heconfessed that he sent cotton photos to the spouse of ATN’s founder and editor.The officers asked questions about his second-hand minivan: how did he buy it,did he have a sponsor and did ATN ever pay him for conducting forced labormonitoring.

Matalaev used to work as a city minibus driver. He bought the minivan when thefamily exchanged their 4-room flat to a 2-room apartment.

Criminal case and the court

All this time, until November 9, 2016, the MNS officers were preparing thefabricated a case against Matalaev. They studied his telephone contacts andtext messages. In search of at least some compromising evidence, the MNSofficers summoned and interrogated several of his friends. Eventually theydecided to make Matalaev’s girlfriend, Madina Kurbanova, a “victim” and

indicted him for “fraud.”

The charge states that allegedly on March 15, 2016 Matalaev fraudulently took2400 manats ($685) from Kurbanova and promised to get her an assistant cook’sjob within three months at the Farab branch of Chinese National PetroleumCorporation. He allegedly said he had contacts there.

From Kurbanova’s testimony (translated from Turkmen):

“However, when the agreed time approached, he did not employ me. On thisoccasion, I repeatedly turned to Matalaev, but he began to avoid me and did notanswer my calls to his mobile phone. Now, tired of waiting, I asked the policedepartment to recover my money from Matalaev. Due to the fact that I do not workanywhere and have no income, [the amount of] 2,400 manats is significant forme. The actions of Matalaev, who took money from me in the amount of 2,400and deceived me, inflicted considerable damage on me.”

The “victim” herself was held in detention for 15 days, because she visited thecotton fields together with Matalaev in late September to conduct the monitoring.ATN has video evidence, which is published below. The question is how couldMatalaev avoid her and not answer her calls if in the fall 2016 they visited thefields together?

ATN does not know if Kurbanova was tortured to testify like this. However, the factthat officers forced her to file a statement against Matalaev is beyond any doubt.The formal language, usually used in judicial documentation, is a clear sign thatshe wrote her statement under guidance. People in their regular life do not use such wording. After 15 days in detentionKurbanova was freed. At the court hearing she testified as a “witness” and once again repeated her claims.

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4/2/2018 Free Gaspar Matalaev – Victim of Forced Labor Monitoring in Turkmenistan | Альтернативные новости Туркменистана

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(https://habartm.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Gaspar-Matalayev-truck.jpg)

Gaspar Matalaev

Gaspar Matalaev Forced Labor Monitoring Turkmenistan

On November 9, 2016 the court found Matalaev guilty under Criminal Code Article 228 (part 2, chapter 3) and sentencedhim to three years in ordinary regime labor camp.

Matalaev’s punishment is nothing but an act of retaliation against him for cooperating with Ruslan Myatiev – ATN’s founderand editor. It also targets ATN’s forced labor monitoring and reporting during the cotton harvest campaign in Turkmenistanover the previous four years. As a result of the reporting about forced labor, some foreign clothing companies stoppedsourcing (https://habartm.org/archives/4548) cotton or textile from Turkmenistan (https://habartm.org/archives/6051), andsome western governments and rights organizations highlighted in their reports the existence of forced labor in the country(https://habartm.org/archives/4829).

At the same time, Matalaev’s entire family is now under surveillance. During the investigation, they kept noticing unfamiliarvehicles with tinted windows with men sitting inside, whom the residents of nearby houses have never seen before. MNSofficers have noted down the personal information of all Matalaev’s relatives, including small children. Some of his relativesrenounced Matalaev and his family.

ATN had hoped for the prudence of the Turkmen authorities and, on insistence from his family, we did not start to campaignfor Matalaev’s release. His relatives had hoped that Matalaev would be released on December 12, 2016 then on February19, 2017 but to their disappointment he was never freed. At the same time other prisoners charged with “fraud” werereleased during both amnesties.

ATN knows that the published photo report from Farab caused resentment at the very top of the Turkmen government. Thechief of the MNS was severely reprimanded for this very reason. Some high-ranking officials from the regional securitydepartment have lost their jobs.

One of the questions addressed to the Turkmen delegation by the UN Human Rights Committee in Geneva on March 8-9,2017 was about Gaspar Matalaev. However, the Turkmen officials left this and many other questions unanswered.

At the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Geneva ATN held meetings with officials from the Child and Forced LaborConventions Unit of the International Labor Standards Department. ATN told them about the use of forced labor inTurkmenistan and Matalaev’s imprisonment.

We urge the Turkmen government to release Gaspar Matalaev. His only “guilt” was that he documented the use of forcedlabor in Turkmenistan – precisely what the government persistently hides, including from the ILO and foreign clothingcompanies.

Материалы по теме:3 1 ОБСУДИТЬ (0)

(https://habartm.org/archives/8005)Turkmenistan:Children Continue to PickCotton Despite Ban(https://habartm.org/archives/8005)

(https://habartm.org/archives/6642)Threeyears imprisonment fordocumenting forced andchild labor(https://habartm.org/archives/6642)

(https://habartm.org/archives/1485)Monitoringthe Use of Forced Laborin Turkmenistan — Part I(https://habartm.org/archives/1485)

(https://habartm.org/archives/3736)TurkmenistanGovernment ForcesThousands to HarvestCotton(https://habartm.org/archives/3736)

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