Andrei Zatoka sentenced to five years in prison!

Environmental activist Andrei Zatoka has just been sentenced to five years in Prison!  He was set up by the Turkmen authorities  in the Dashoguz Bazaar, where he was attacked by an unknown man and arrested when went to two police officers for help.

For more information on his arrest and the situation as a whole check out Crude Accountability, Human rights Watch, and Ferghana.ru.

Here is a letter written by Andrei Zatoka in the case that he should be arrested, where he recounts the constant harassment he has been under from the Turkmen authorities for the past two years.

Check out Amnesty International for how to help! Also, please sign international petition for his release

Here are some photos from the demonstrations to free Andrei:

From Washington, D.C. in Front of the Turmenistan Embassy

From Moscow, in front of the Turkmenistan Embassy

 

Russia taking action on Andrei

It appears that Russia is taking some actions for Andrei.

Here are some articles: 

President Putin Informed about Arrest of Russian Environmental Activist in Turkmenistan

Original title: Putin is Informed of the Fates of Russian Turkmen Nationals

Source: Vremya Novostei, by Arkady Dubnov, in Russian / 01.16.07 / Synopsis prepared by OSI Turkmenistan Project.

Full version: http://www.vremya.ru/2007/5/5/169388.html - sorry this is in Russian

Synopsis: According to the independent Russian newspaper Vremya Novostei, Russian president Vladimir Putin met with members of the Council for the Development of Institutes of Civil Society and Human Rights on January 15, where, among other issues raised was the fate of Russians living in the near abroad, and in particular, of the arrest of environmental activist Andrei Zatoka in Turkmenistan. Zatoka’s fate will be brought up through diplomatic channels, Vremya Novostei reported.

 Check out this article too from Radio Free Europe

Check out this article by Ferghana Information Agency

Protest In Washington, D.C. and Letter From Zatoka’s Family

There will be a protest in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Janurary 24th from 6:00pm to 7:30pm in front of the Turkmenistan Embassy the address for the embassy is:

2207 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20008 .

Here is a letter that I received from the family of Andrei Zatoka, calling on the US to help take action to free Andrei!

January 12, 2007
Dear Madam Secretary Rice:

On December 17, 2006, Andrei Lvovich Zatoka, our father and husband, was arrested in Turkmenistan at the Dashoguz city airport. Andrei Zatoka is famous in Turkmenistan and Central Asia as an environmental activist. He established the civic organization Dashoguz Ecology Club, which for 11 years was the strongest NGO in Turkmenistan before the authorities shut it down by court order in 2004. In Turkmenistan Andrei Zatoka initiated many successful projects aimed at the formation and development of the civic sector, and involving youth and adults in environmental protection activities. His personal example, and his enthusiasm and belief in the power of NGOs, inspired dozens of people to work with civic organizations. The Dashoguz Ecology Club implemented many projects with the support of grants from the US Embassy in Turkmenistan, ISAR, the Eurasia Foundation, the Soros Foundation, and others. Andrei has been active since the very beginning of the civic movement in Turkmenistan (Andrei stood at its very foundation), he was a member of the “Seeds of Democracy” program in Central Asia, and is co-chairman of the International Socio-Ecological Union.

Andrei Zatoka was born in Russia and holds dual Russian-Turkmen citizenship, but his heart belongs to Turkmenistan. He is sincerely concerned about the environment in Turkmenistan, about the education and involvement of its citizens, and about the future of the country. During numerous meetings with representatives of USAID, the American Embassy, and Counterpart Consortium, he often expressed his ideas about improving grant programs in Turkmenistan and about consolidating the role of civic organizations in the country.

Soon it will have been a month since Andrei was arrested. Unfortunately, his family is in Russia now: his children are studying at a university, and his wife is working in Beslan (North Ossetia) with a UNICEF-funded project, “Let Your Heart Touch a Heart,” for the rehabilitation of victims of the terrorist acts . Consequently, we know little about Andrei’s health and the course of the investigation. We cannot return to Turkmenistan because it is unsafe for us there following Andrei’s detainment.

First Andrei was detained for 5 days “for petty hooliganism”, and then the term of his detention was extended to 15 days without any official charges. According to information we received from an eyewitness, on December 30 our apartment was searched. Those who performed the search seized our computers and found snake poison and some weapons.

Andrei is charged with two criminal violations: Article 287 of the Criminal Code of Turkmenistan – illegal acquisition, sale, storage, transportation, delivery or possession of weapons, ammunition, explosive substances or devices, and Article 302 – illegal transactions with strong or poisonous substances.
It should be noted that the defense attorney, even though hired by the state, is apparently also being pressured by the Prosecutor’s office, thereby preventing the attorney and the family from being fully informed about Andrey Zatoka’s fate.

We think that these charges are a fabrication to place the environmental activist under arrest. Andrei kept a small amount of snake poison in the apartment because of his scientific profession; he is a herpetologist and uses poison to develop immunity against the poisonous snakes he works with. The weapon was only an air-rifle bought many years ago, and it does not require special permission. The actual reasons for Andrei’s detention are his activist attitude and his continuous activities aimed at strengthening civil society in Turkmenistan, as well as the authorities’ fear of brave, educated people.

It has been reported that at the time of his arrest Andrei managed to tell his acquaintance in Dashoguz that he preferred to serve his five-day term of administrative arrest quietly and not to create a scandal at the international level. But since Andrei was charged with violating Turkmenistan’s Criminal Code the situation has changed dramatically. As his closest relatives, we have decided to request the international community to intervene in his case immediately.

We appeal to the US State Department to help us protect a public activist and a former grantee, Andrei Zatoka. For example, we request that American diplomats come to Dashoguz and request a meeting with Andrei, the Prosecutor, investigators and his attorney in order to receive accurate information about his whereabouts and health, as well as assurances that law-enforcement officials are not mistreating him, as that is standard in Turkmenistan, and that his right to a due process and other basic human rights are observed. American diplomats could also encourage Russian counterparts in the capital, Ashgabat, to express similar interest in their compatriot, as their diplomatic duties require.
Thank you for your attention to this urgent appeal.
Wife – Evgenia Zatoka
Children – Ekaterina Zatoka and Ivan Zatoka

Free Andrei Zatoka

Hello everyone,

This is a blog dedicated to freeing Andrei Zatoka, an environmental activist who was arrested on December 17, 2006. I am organizing this blog to bring together information about Andrei and his arrest. Anyone who knows him or has information that they would like to share is invited to participate in this blog. The goal of this blog is to gather information that will lead to his release.

Here is some information on the current situation from Human Rights Watch , Reuters , and a very good article with information on what you can do to help from Pacific Environment- Environmental Activist Detained in Turkmenistan

Free Andrei Zatoka

Hello everyone,

This is a blog dedicated to freeing Andrei Zatoka, an environmental activist who was arrested on December 17, 2006. I am organizing this blog to bring together information about Andrei and his arrest. Anyone who knows him or has information that they would like to share is invited to participate in this blog. The goal of this blog is to gather information that will lead to his release.

Here is some information on the current situation From Human Rights Watch 

 From Reuters  

Here is a very good article with information on what you can do to help from Pacific Environment- Environmental Activist Detained in Turkmenistan