Turkmen human rights activists are hoping a new United Nations report will draw international attention to prisoners held incommunicado in the country.

It seems fitting that opaque is the best word to describe Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's just-concluded visit to the City of Light.

Sonia Zilberman

After almost 20 years of relative isolation from the west, Turkmenistan – a country with one of the world's worst human rights records – is eyeing European markets for business. And Europe is eager to buy, and quick to overlook democratic principles in exchange for gas.

Veronika Szente Goldston

The EU has just sent a clear message to Turkmenistan: human rights do not feature in our relationship.

EU foreign ministers on Monday (27 July) waved through an interim trade agreement that gives preferential treatment and promises broader, upgraded relations with Turkmenistan, one of the worst human-rights abusers in the world. They made no reference whatsoever to human rights.

Analysts suspect the release of Turkmen political prisoner Muhametkuli Aymuradov is a one-off, and does not mean other dissidents will be freed in the near future.

Nearly every morning, a postman delivers fresh newspapers to Arslan's house in the Turkmen capital, Ashgabat. It has been like this for years -- like it or not.

This is because, as a public-sector employee, Arslan is required to subscribe to state publications, with the fees deducted from his wages.

Arslan, however, barely ever reads the newspapers.

"They all are identical," says the 34-year-old teacher. "They all write about the president. Hardly anything in our newspapers is worth reading."

Amnesty International says politically motivated harassment, detentions, and imprisonments continue in Turkmenistan, in a statement issued to mark the second anniversary of the current government.

Pledge to create a stronger, more independent parliament comes to nothing.

The first session of Turkmenistan’s new parliament suggests that President Gurbanguly Berdymuhammedov plans to maintain tight control over the institution, commentators interviewed by IWPR.

Despite the Turkmen president’s repeated emphasis on improving access to the internet, things have recently deteriorated, with more sites blocked than usual and service generally slower.

A 246-foot tall, rocket ship-like monument to the late ruler of Turkmenistan, topped with a golden statue of himself that rotates to always face the sun, will be removed from the center of the Turkmen capital, state news media there have reported.