Expressing the sense of Congress that the Government of Turkmenistan should take immediate steps to improve its respect for human rights and democratic practices, in keeping with its international commitments and obligations.

Bill: 109-hconres-486
Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
Introduced: 2006-09-27 in the House
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Accounting
Arrest
Assassination
Auditing
Business records
Censorship
Central Asia
Charities
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Commerce
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal investigation
Death
Democracy
Deportation
Displaced persons
Dissenters
Due process of law
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Embezzlement
Emigration
Energy
Europe
European Union
Families
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial disclosure
Financial statements
Foreign Trade and International Finance
Foreign leaders
Freedom of the press
Gas industry
Government Operations and Politics
Health
Human rights
Immigration
Information disclosure (Securities law)
International agencies
Internet
Language and languages
Law
Misconduct in office
Nongovernmental organizations
Normal trade relations
Oil and gas royalties
Opposition (Political science)
Political parties
Political prisoners
Political violence
Prison violence
Prisoners
Prisoners' rights
Psychiatric hospitals
Punishment
Religion
Religious liberty
Relocation
Right to travel
Science, Technology, Communications
Secondary education
Social Welfare
Stockholders
Torture
Trade agreements
Turkmenistan
United Nations

Summary:
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: 
Expresses the sense of Congress that the government of Turkmenistan should: (1) release from prison and psychiatric institutions all prisoners of conscience and political prisoners, including Mukhametkuli Aimuradov, Sapardurdy Khajiev, Annakurba Amanklychev, Kakabai Tedjenov, Cheper Annaniyazova, and Nasrullah ibn Ibadullah; (2) provide the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) with access to all detained persons, including Batyr Berdyev and Boris Shikhmuradov; (3) investigate the death in custody of Ogulsapar Muradova; (4) provide fair retrials of those imprisoned for the alleged 2002 assassination attempt of President Niyazov; (5) provide independent investigations into allegations of torture, ill-treatment; and deaths in custody; (6) permit the normal functioning of opposition groups, independent nongovernmental groups; (7) cease the use of collective punishment, psychiatric hospitals, and house arrest of relatives and associates of perceived dissidents; (8) allow press and related freedoms; (9) end the diversion of state funds into President Niyazov's personal offshore accounts; (10) make educational reforms; (11) continue to discuss human rights and democratization in Turkmenistan and; and (12) support increased Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) activities in Turkmenistan.
 
Expresses the sense of Congress that the United States should consider: (1) appropriate responses if the government of Turkmenistan continues to ban peaceful independent political party participation in the upcoming December elections; (2) designating Turkmenistan a &quot;country of particular concern;&quot; (3) withholding Turkmenistan's waiver under the Jackson-Vanik amendment until the right to freedom of movement is ensured; (4) encouraging companies which transport Turkmen gas to account for revenues and make public the identities of all their shareholders and beneficiaries; (5) raising with the European Union (EU), as well as transit and purchasing countries, the importance of not entering into trade agreements with Turkmenistan until the government demonstrates a commitment to implementing basic norms of fiscal transparency; (6) issuing a report on the personal assets and wealth of President Niyazov; and (7) working with other U.N. member states to introduce a resolution denouncing human rights violations in Turkmenistan.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: Referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: Referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: Referred to the Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1875)
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2006-09-27
text: Introduced in House