Turkmenistan: RSF denounces poisoning attempt on Soltan Achilova
Independent journalist Soltan Achilova has revealed an attempted poisoning carried out against her by Turkmen authorities in November 2024. Following this failed attempt, the authorities prevented her from leaving the country by detaining her under the pretext of an infectious disease. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns this attack on Soltan Achilova’s life and urges the international community to hold Turkmen authorities accountable for her case and the deprivation of citizens' right to information.
“They won’t stop until they destroy me. It’s all directed by Gurbanguly and Serdar [Berdimuhamedow, former and current presidents of Turkmenistan], everything is done under their orders,” stated Soltan Achilova, a pioneer of independent journalism in one of the world’s most oppressive regimes, in a video for the exiled media outlet Chronicles of Turkmenistan. She disclosed that she was the target of a poisoning attempt in November 2024. Just days before her planned trip to Geneva, Switzerland, to receive the Martin Ennals Award, a man visited her home to complain about police corruption. He returned two days later, bringing her samsas (stuffed pastries), claiming his issue had been resolved. Achilova’s neighbor, present during the visit, ate one of the pastries. Fifteen minutes later, the neighbor lost consciousness and had to be rushed to the hospital for intensive care.
“In this isolated Central Asian dictatorship, everything is orchestrated to silence dissenting voices, and citizens are deprived of their right to information. This poisoning attempt and the harassment endured by Soltan Achilova demonstrate the authorities’ determination to eliminate any trace of independent journalism. RSF is gravely concerned for the life and health of the 76-year-old photojournalist and calls on the international community to pressure Turkmen authorities regarding her case and the intolerable imposition of systemic state censorship.
On 20 November, at 6.30 am, as Soltan Achilova prepared to leave with her daughter to catch a flight, men in white coats arrived at her home. Barely had she closed the door when one of them snatched her keys, issuing a thinly veiled death threat: “Why do you need a key in the other world?” She was forcibly taken to a prevention and treatment center for infectious diseases in the capital, Ashgabat, despite showing no signs of illness. She was detained there for six days, unable to communicate with anyone.
Soltan Achilova is one of the few journalists in Turkmenistan working with independent media without concealing her identity. Since starting her journalism career in 2006, she has been subjected to intimidation, insults, and physical assaults. Her closed ones are monitored and questioned about her activities, and her phone is tapped. This is not the first time authorities have prevented Achilova from leaving the country. In 2023, a border guard deliberately damaged her passport, rendering it invalid, as she was about to travel to Geneva.
