The Turkmen authorities are increasing censorship and control over the Internet. ACCA sources said police officers raided markets in the cities of Dashoguz, Turkmenabat (formerly Chardzhou), and Balkanabat (formerly Nebit-Dag) last week.
The raids were carried out in electronic equipment repair and technical support workshops. Computers, documentation, and address books with phone numbers of clients of these workshops were seized. In Dashoguz, seven people were detained at the Bai Bazar and Negmat markets, they were fined and sent under arrest for 15 days in a temporary detention facility. In Turkmenabat, eleven people were detained at the Dunya Bazar market, who were also sent under arrest for 15 days. In Balkanabat, at the markets Nar Bazar, 5th Microdistrict, Zeleny Bazar, 19 people were detained, after the check, 6 people were released, the remaining 13 were fined and sent under arrest for 15 days.
ACCA sources said that law enforcement officers intend to check by numbers in address books, everyone who uses VPN applications to bypass the blocking of sites on the Internet.
All the masters were arrested for installing VPN applications and connecting citizens to paid servers with high security and speed.
Our source close to the security forces said that these raids are being conducted since the citizens of Turkmenistan living abroad are intensively conducting and taking part in anti-government protests demanding the resignation of the President and the government of the country. By detaining and arresting workshop employees, the country’s authorities are trying to prevent protest moods inside the country.
We recall that since April this year, citizens of Turkmenistan have been holding protests in the United States, Turkey, and Cyprus. The independent media of Turkmenistan reported that on July 31 this year, similar raids were carried out in Ashgabat at the Wholesale Bazaar and Russian Bazaar markets. That time about 30 electronics repairmen were arrested. They were all also fined and arrested for 15 days.
Let us recall that Turkmenistan is constantly criticized by the international community for strict censorship and restriction of access to the Internet.
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