The Russian government extradited Ashgabat resident Saddam G‘ulomov at the request of Turkmenistan. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
He is known as a person who openly criticized former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and the current political leadership. G‘ulomov sharply criticized the Turkmenistan government's policies on social media, highlighting the food shortages, economic difficulties, and harsh living conditions imposed on the population.
He also critically covered the government's denial of the coronavirus pandemic and the concealment of measures taken against it. Experts believe this extradition is concerning from the perspective of freedom of speech, as G‘ulomov was returned to a country where he could be punished for his critical views.
His relatives and human rights activists are seriously worried about his safety and are asking international organizations to monitor this issue. So far, Turkmenistan officials have not made any public statements regarding the extradition.
