October 24, 2009
For Immediate Release:                  

Peaceful Demonstration in Defense of Andrey Zatoka,
Wrongly Imprisoned Turkmen Environmentalist!

Wednesday, October 28 between 5:30 and 7PM
In Front of the Turkmenistan Embassy
2207 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

Come show the Turkmenistan government that the world is watching!!!!

Express your solidarity with Andrey Zatoka, renowned environmentalist and civil society activist, who is imprisoned in Dashovuz, Turkmenistan on politically motivated charges.  Andrey has been charged with assault with intent to inflict bodily harm, and, if convicted, could face up to five years in prison.

Andrey was previously imprisoned two years ago on charges of “hooliganism”, when he was detained boarding an airplane in Dashovuz on his way to Moscow, Russia to visit family.  He was freed on January 31, 2007 after intense pressure from the international community for his release. Since then, Andrey has been unable to leave Turkmenistan and has not seen his family in over three years.

Turkmenistan is one of the most repressive countries in the world, with an authoritarian regime. It has gained more notoriety in recent years because of its vast natural gas reserves, which western and other governments hope to import.

For more information, please visit www.crudeaccountability.org  or contact Kate Watters: 703-299-0854 or 571-332-5895.

PLEASE JOIN US!