Turkmen pediatrician Khursanai Ismatullaeva was released from prison on December 12, 2022, as part of a government pardon. Dr. Ismatullaeva had been serving a nine-year sentence based on charges of alleged fraud. She was arrested by Turkmen authorities the day after an event organized by the European Parliament on the human rights situation in Central Asia, at which human rights defenders raised concerns about her dismissal from a medical clinic.

Dr. Ismatullaeva had worked at Ene Mahri Perinatal Center, a clinic in Gokdepe, since its opening in 2010. She was dismissed from her position in 2017 following a two-week absence for medical treatment. This absence was cited as the grounds for her dismissal, although she reportedly received approval from her supervisor for the absence. According to reliable reports, in the months leading up to her dismissal, clinic managers instructed Dr. Ismatullaeva to engage in behavior that violates medical ethics, including recommending unnecessary operations to patients at their expense. It is believed that her dismissal stems from her refusal to make such recommendations.

Dr. Ismatullaeva appealed her dismissal from the clinic through a variety of legal mechanisms, without success. Her case was marked by due process irregularities, including lack of access to a qualified lawyer and translator throughout the proceedings. On July 16, 2021—the day after her situation was raised in the event organized by the European Parliament—Dr. Ismatullaeva was arrested and detained, raising widespread concerns that the government had retaliated against her for allowing her case to be discussed in an international forum. Dr. Ismatullaeva reportedly was held in an undisclosed location for several days before facing criminal charges in connection with the privatization of an apartment several years prior. She was subsequently moved to a pre-trial detention facility in Ashgabat, which we understand is typically used to hold individuals accused of national security-related offenses. On September 7, 2021, Dr. Ismatullaeva was sentenced to serve nine years in a penal colony. To the best of our knowledge, no credible evidence was presented to support the charges against her.