Ruslan Myatiev

Affiliated media: Turkmen.News , Editor

Incident date: July 25, 2024

Attack type:

• Forced deportation, Extradition

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Turkmen.News

Location: Turkey, Antalya

Additional information:

On July 25, officers from Turkey’s police and security agencies did not allow Turkmen journalist Ruslan Myatiev to enter the country. Myatiev is editor of the turkmen.news website, one of the few independent information and human rights resources on Turkmenistan. Myatiev and his family were going on a summer holiday, but he was told at the airport in Antalya that he posed a threat to Turkey’s national security. After several hours of questioning Myatiev was deported from the country under escort. The request to put the journalist on the banned list had come from Turkmenistan. The police officers told the journalist that the ban had been introduced two months after his summer visit, i.e. in September-October 2023. After several hours of questioning by Turkish police officers, Myatiev was given a document refusing him entry to the country and bearing the note “an entry ban is in place”, and he was escorted onto the plane for the return flight to the Netherlands.