Basic rights are regularly disregarded in Turkmenistan. Human rights continue to be violated in Turkmenistan, including detention and convictions of anyone daring to criticize or challenge official policy. In the election, Serdar Berdymukhamedov succeeded his father Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov as president. The election was deemed neither fair nor free by international monitors. Authorities persist in attempting to stop peaceful protests of activists and citizens living abroad. Authorities also exercise strict control over the flow of information and media. They censored information about important topics like economic hardship, shortages of essential food items, the impact of climate change, and Covid-19. Access to the internet was limited to prevent people from receiving information from abroad, authorities closely monitored the use of virtual private networks and proxy servers to stop those who tried to go against state controls. Authorities continue to discriminate against women, girls, LGBTQIA people. Restricting their rights, freedoms and bodily autonomy in the name of cultural traditions and Turkmeniçilik, which is Turkmen national identity. The government prevents women from getting certain beauty treatments, and sitting in the front passenger seat of a car. There is no legal clarity in these rules that are mainly implemented by the police. For people in the LGBTQIA community, it is considered to be a criminal offense to have consensual sexual relations between men, and can result in up to 2 years of imprisonment. There are serious human rights violations occurring in Turkmenistan as the government denies them freedoms. 

“Turkmenistan Archives.” Amnesty International, www.amnesty.org/en/location/europe-and-central-asia/turkmenistan/report-turkmenistan/.