OSCE Media Representative blasts "Stalinist" propaganda methods on Turkmen TV

VIENNA, 16 January 2003 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Freimut Duve, strongly condemned the abuse of the television media in Turkmenistan to humiliate and destroy individuals accused of an alleged attack against the country's President, Saparmurad Niyazov.

Speaking today at the OSCE Permanent Council, the Organization's main regular decision-making body, Mr. Duve said television in Turkmenistan was showing live broadcasts of the accused making confessions and being denounced by members of the public who demanded the death penalty.

"These are the same methods that were used during the Stalinist show trials of the 1930s in the Soviet Union," Mr. Duve said. "The rhetoric used is often obscene and in most countries would be unprintable."

"There is also explicitly racist language. This is a quote from the President of an OSCE participating State, Turkmenistan, with reference to one of the leaders of the opposition Boris Shikhmuradov: "His blood is diluted with the blood of a different nationality. Previously, to make Turkmens weaker, their blood was diluted. Where the true blood of our ancestors is mixed with other blood their national spirit is low."

(Note to editors: Attached is a transcript [excerpts] from the broadcast on Turkmenistan television of the Session of the People's Council from 30 December 2002. This transcript was distributed to OSCE participating States at the Permanent Council.)