A protestor with Reporters Without Borders holds a sign in front of the Turkmenistan Embassy in Washington, D.C. featuring an image of the country's president, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, and detailing how the country has unfairly treated its journalists. (Andrew Merica/MNS)
Privacy and Civil Liberties 

Turkmenistan Independence Day overshadowed by treatment of press

By on , ,

In America, we enjoy our First Amendment right to a free press. Unfortunately, many other countries do not have that luxury.

Non-profit press freedom advocacy group Reporters Without Borders has ranked the country of Turkmenistan 178 out of 180 countries in their 2016 World Press Freedom Index. Notably, the Turkmenistan government has kept journalist Saparmamed Nepeskuliev imprisoned and held incommunicado since July 2015.

October 27, 2016 was Turkmenistan’s 25th independence day, and to protest the country’s government’s treatment of journalists, Reporters Without Borders held a rally in front of the Turkmenistan Embassy in Washington, D.C.

This video was produced in conjunction with Reporters Without Borders. See their full report on Turkmenistan here.