23:50, 24 March 2021

Turkmen oppositionist Choliev forcibly sent from Russia to Turkey

Rozgeldy Choliev. Screenshot of the video azathabar.com

Turkmen oppositionist Rozgeldy Choliev has been forcibly deported to Turkey after his three-week stay in the neutral zone of the Russian Sheremetyevo Airport. His partner with a small child remained in Karachay-Cherkessia after the activist had been expelled from the university. Rozgeldy Choliev has been denied the consideration of his refugee status application in Russia.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 2, Rozgeldy Choliev was detained at the Moscow airport while he was trying to return to Cherkessk to his partner and their child. The activist complained about the rude behaviour of border guards and their insistent demands to return to Turkey, from where he arrived.

Rozgeldy Choliev studied in Karachay-Cherkessia since 2018, but in September 2020, he was expelled from the university. The Human Rights Centre (HRC) “Memorial”* reported that the university administration threatened Rozgeldy Choliev with deportation to Turkmenistan for his posts on social media platforms criticizing President Berdymukhamedov. If Rozgeldy Choliev is expelled to Turkey, he may be extradited to Turkmenistan, where he will be persecuted, human rights defenders note.

During all three weeks spent by Rozgeldy Choliev at the Sheremetyevo Airport, the Russian public institutions refused to participate in resolving problems experienced by the Turkmen activist, such as delivery of food, accommodation, and access to fresh air, the HRC “Memorial” reports.

Rozgeldy Choliev’s case attracted public attention. On March 21, MMA fighters Zabit Magometsharipov and Magomet Ismailov from Dagestan and Karachay-Cherkessia arrived at the Sheremetyevo Airport to support the activist, the “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” reports.

the HRC "Memorial" is recognized in the Russian Federation as a foreign agent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 24, 2021 at 07:26 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.