Sep 23, 2022

Since 2014, the U.S. Department of State has designated Turkmenistan as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC), for its systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations. After Turkmenistan’s President stepped down in March of 2022, his son, Serdar Berdimuhamedov, came to power. Despite hopes of a loosening of these highly restrictive regulations on religious practice, they have remained in place. The Government of Turkmenistan continues to appoint Muslim clerics while also surveilling and dictating all religious practice, and punishing nonconformity through imprisonment, torture, and administrative harassment.

Forum 18 News Service editor, Felix Corley, joins us today to discuss Turkmenistan’s highly restrictive religious freedom conditions and its imprisonment of religious prisoners of conscience.

Read USCIRF’s 2022 Annual Report Chapter on Turkmenistan

Additional Name(s): Музаффар Давлатмиров

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Tajikistan

Religion or Belief: Muslim – Shi'a

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: Yes

Sentence: 5 Years' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: July/26/2022

Date of Sentencing: August/4/2022

Current Status: Deceased

Religious Leader: Yes

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Giving, Sharing, & Listening to a Religious Speech Religious Activity

Nature of Charges: Extremism Incitement to Commit Crime & Violence

Muzaffar Davlatmirov

Extra Bio Info:

Muzaffar Davlatmirov was imprisoned for his religious activity.

On July 26, 2022, authorities in Gorno-Badakhshan Region (GBAO) detained Davlatmirov, a prominent cleric, reportedly for criticizing government violence in his sermons and leading funeral services for three local leaders killed by police.

On August 3, 2022, the Badakhshan Regional Court sentenced Davlatmirov to five years in prison for "public calls for extremist activity…committed using the mass media or the internet" (Art. 307-1-2 TCC).

On June 26, 2025, Davlatmirov died in prison at 61 years old after being denied medical treatment for his deteriorating health. 

Publicly Available Information:

Additional Name(s): Oleg Grigoriyevich Shidlovskiy, Шидловский Олег Григорьевич

Gender: Male

Perpetrator: Russia

Religion or Belief: Christian – Jehovah's Witness

Reports of Torture: No

Reports of Medical Neglect: No

Appeal: Rejected

Sentence: 6 Years, 6 Months' Imprisonment

Date of Detainment: August/8/2020

Date of Sentencing: September/19/2022

Current Status: Not Released

Religious Leader: No

Most Recent Type of Abuse: Imprisonment

Reason for Persecution: Attending a Religious Gathering or Meeting Discussing Religion & Religious Texts Praying Religious Activity Religious Belief Singing, Playing, & Producing Religious Songs & Music

Nature of Charges: Banned Organization Extremism

Oleg Shidlovskiy

Extra Bio Info:

Oleg Shidlovskiy is imprisoned for his religious belief and activity.

On August 8, 2020, authorities arrested Shidlovskiy after raiding the homes of several Jehovah's Witnesses and arresting several of them. Shidlovskiy was reportedly being investigated for “organizing the activities of a public or religious association or other organization in respect of which a court has adopted a final decision to liquidate or ban activities in connection with extremist activities” (Art. 282.2-1 RCC) for attending religious meetings, discussing the Bible, praying, and singing religious songs.

On September 19, 2022, the Gukovo City Court of the Rostov region sentenced Shidlovskiy to six years and six months in prison.

On January 19, 2023, the Rostov Regional Court upheld Shidlovskiy's sentence.

On July 25, 2023, the Fourth General Jurisdiction Court of Cassation upheld Shidlovskiy's sentence.

Shidlovskiy is married with two children.

Related Cases: Aleksey Dyadkin, Aleksey Goreliy, Nikita Moiseyev, Vladimir Popov, Yevgeniy Razumov

Publicly Available Information:
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