[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 18283]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



            RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION OCCURRING IN TURKMENISTAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Hulshof). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, as a member of the Helsinki Commission, and 
also as the Cochair of the Religious Prisoners Congressional Task 
Force, I rise today to speak on behalf of a young man who has had his 
human rights violated, a young man with a wife and five young children, 
a man who, because of the peaceful practice of his religious beliefs, 
is in prison in Turkmenistan.
  In December of 1998, security officials arrested and imprisoned Mr. 
Shageldy Atakov, pursued trumped-up charges against him, and on March 
19, 1999, Mr. Atakov was sentenced to 2 years in prison. Why? Simply 
because he decided to change his religion from Muslim to Christian.
  Despite the fact that the government of Turkmenistan is a signatory 
to the Helsinki Accords and other international agreements, officials 
have blatantly violated Mr. Atakov's and other individuals' rights to 
freedom of conscience, freedom of speech, and the freedom of assembly.
  Before KNB officials, that is the new name for the KGB, arrested Mr. 
Atakov, they, along with local religious community leaders, told him if 
he converted back to his previous religion, he would receive a car, a 
house and a good job, a great offer in a country like Turkmenistan 
where people make approximately $40 per month.
  However, these community leaders and security officials made it clear 
that if Mr. Atakov refused this offer, they would ``find'' charges 
against him and ensure that he was imprisoned. Over a 2-month period, 
various officials visited Mr. Atakov to repeat this offer and threats. 
In one of the visits, secret police officials said he would be 
imprisoned and ``we will quickly force you into silence.''
  The KNB secret police have tried to silence Mr. Atakov in prison. 
Reports show that in July of 1999 and March of 2000 Mr. Atakov was 
forced into the special punishment cell in which he was severely beaten 
by guards, denied water, and fed only every other day. His family saw 
him at the end of the 10 days in 1999, and they reported that he was 
barely alive.
  In July of 1999, it was reported that President Niyazov gave Mr. 
Atakov presidential amnesty, as allowed under Section 228 of the 
criminal code; but for some strange reason, security officials did not 
release him. Instead, they put him in the punishment cell described 
above.
  In fact, because of the pressure from the prosecutor, who said the 
previous sentence was too lenient, a new trial was held in August of 
1999; and Mr. Atakov was sentenced to 4 years in prison and fined 
$12,000. That is an amount equivalent to about 25 years of salary for 
the average Turk citizen.
  Since February of this year, KNB officials forced his family into 
internal exile, the principal has kicked his children out of school, 
his wife has been told she will remain in exile until she renounces her 
faith, Mr. Atakov's brother was arrested and tortured in April of 1999, 
and other family members have lost their jobs and suffered as well.
  In December of 1999, during a raid on a Russian family living in 
Turkmenistan, KNB officials told them, ``First we will deport all of 
you foreign missionaries, then we'll strangle the remaining Christians 
in the country.''
  All of this government attention to one man and his family simply 
because of religious beliefs.
  This injustice is an outrage. The tactics of the KNB show that the 
KGB forces and methods of operations did not disappear with the demise 
of the Soviet Union, but are still alive and well. The arrest and 
subsequent imprisonment of Mr. Atakov are not isolated events, but are 
a result of the KNB secret police policy in Turkmenistan.
  In 1997, the legislature adopted severe restrictions on religion, 
imposing compulsory re-registration of all religious communities. 
According to the legislation, a religious community must have at least 
500 members before it can obtain registration. Without this legal 
status, all religious groups are considered illegal and their 
activities therefore are punishable under the law.
  Since June of 1997, the secret police have detained, interrogated and 
physically assaulted many religious believers. In addition, these 
officials have raided churches, interrupted worship services, searched 
homes and confiscated over 6,700 pieces of literature. In each 
instance, the KNB warned citizens that the Christian faith in 
particular is forbidden in Turkmenistan.
  Religious believers throughout Turkmenistan suffer if they practice 
their religion but do not belong to either of the two ``registered'' 
religions. One is the Islamic faith, the other is the Russian Orthodox.
  Mr. Speaker, I recently received reports that Mr. Atakov's health has 
deteriorated rapidly and he may be at the point of death. I urge the 
government of Turkmenistan to allow an international organization, such 
as the Red Cross, to visit Mr. Atakov, assess his health, and provide 
any medical assistance he might need. Even, I might say, the old 
ruthless Soviet regime allowed prisoners medical health.
  I urge the government of Turkmenistan to live up to its commitments 
under the Helsinki Accords and other international agreements to uphold 
and to protect freedom of speech, assembly and belief.
  Further, I urge the government of Turkmenistan to release Mr. Atakov 
under their own president's amnesty granted to him last year.
  Finally, I urge the government to stop harassing and persecuting 
people of faith and recognize their important and rich contribution to 
their nation.

                          ____________________