There is an acute shortage of food in almost all correctional institutions in Turkmenistan. As part of an independent monitoring of the penitentiary system of Turkmenistan, we managed to collect information about the situation in the colonies of Turkmenistan.
For the safety reasons of our sources and informants in government agencies, we will not indicate the numbers of colonies, names and surnames. Our sources, close to the Department of the Execution of Punishment under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan, reported that since the termination of visits and the closure of prisons due to COVID-19 in Turkmen prisons, famine has come and the situation is deteriorating every day in all respects.
ACCA sources said that food supplies to the colonies are intermittent for several days, and bread is also delivered every 2-3 days. Convicts receive less than 300 grams of bread per day. At the same time, often only tea is given for breakfast.
From March last year to April 1 of this year, visits of prisoners with relatives were prohibited due to the pandemic. The transfer of food products became more difficult due to restrictions on movement between regions. All passenger and private carriage services were canceled. The parcels from the prisoners’ parents are stolen by the prison staff and only a small part of the products reaches the prisoners.
Each colony has a grocery store. However, most of them have been closed, and prices in other stores increased by 10-15 times. The colony employees have changed the line of their business from selling alcohol, cigarettes and other prohibited products to selling food.
In the medical institutions of the colonies, conditions have deteriorated significantly, antibiotics and pain relievers are completely absent. In some colonies, there are no medicines at all, even brilliant green and iodine. Our source in Mary region reported that the supply of medicines in the prison hospital was reduced by 80%. In all prisons, without exception, tuberculosis is rife and rampant along with COVID-19. According to our data, at least 217 prisoners died of tuberculosis in Turkmen prisons last year. We received this data from our source close to the Department of the Execution of Punishments under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Turkmenistan.
According to the ACCA source, among prisoners, the average weight loss due to hunger is 15 kilograms. The source emphasized that cases of loss of consciousness and fainting have become more frequent in almost all colonies due to hunger.
ACCA journalists were able to talk with some of the prisoners who fell under the amnesty on May 7 this year. On condition of anonymity, they confirmed all the information about the coming famine in the colonies of Turkmenistan.
“There is not enough bread for everyone, and there are often quarrels between prisoners over a piece of bread in canteens,” said one of the former prisoners. “Many prisoners haven’t seen sugar for 6 months, and many feel dizzy when walking.”
According to another prisoner, due to the restrictions imposed in the colonies, the number of same-sex relationships has increased dramatically.
“At first, the guards fought this somehow, and then turned a blind eye to it and began to engage in procuring,” said our source. “They extort money from solvent prisoners for using hustlers. Solvent prisoners order food from the guards. Then, the food is used for paying for sex services. The administration of the colonies turns a blind eye to this.
The convicts also reported that for one sexual intercourse in prisons they give half a loaf of bread, half a mug of sugar and some tea leaves.
ACCA sources in the Department of Internal Affairs under the Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed this information.
When spring came, the prisoners began to eat young stems of a camel’s-thorn (Alhagi camelorum). The needles are broken off, and the stems are smashed, finely cut and salted; in this form, the thorn is like a salad.
One of the released said that in the colony from which he was released, the last cat with kittens was eaten in the autumn of last year.
“Now there is not a single cat, they ate all the pigeons and generally eat everything that runs and flies,” said the ACCA interlocutor.
“There is not a single cat now. The prisoners ate all the pigeons. In general, they eat all and everything that runs and flies,” said the ACCA interlocutor.
In April of this year, prisons resumed receiving parcels for prisoners, and for a fee to the head of the colony, they can arrange a meeting with relatives. However, the situation hasn’t improved much in the colonies, since about 70 % of the total population of Turkmenistan suffers from the lack of funds and food.
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