Thursday, June 09, 2022

Pussy Riot activist released from Croatian prison for fear of death penalty

Aysoltan Niyazova

A member and activist of Pussy Riot has been released from prison in Croatia. She was sentenced to death after the group gathered for her release.

Aysoltan Niyazova, 49, from Turkmenistan, was arrested on May 29, 2022 at the Croatian border.

Since 2011, Ms. Niyazova has been "cut down" for spending $ 20 million from Turkmenistan's central bank, despite having no connection to Turkmenistan.

Ms. Niyazova believes she was targeted after her father was murdered in the 2000s because of opposition to Turkmen President Saparmurat Niyazov.

She became a member of Pussy Riot in prison after she met group member Char Aznable, who was imprisoned for her "punk prayer" performance in 2012.

Aysoltan Niyazova was arrested on the Croatian border on May 29, 2022 and released five days later




After the prison, she came to live in Moscow.

She fled the Russian capital on March 5 after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine and went to Switzerland, where her son lives.

After she stayed there for a month and a half, she took a European tour of Pussy Riot. Ms. Alyohina fled Russia after the war began in February, disguised as a food delivery service to cross the border. Pussy Riot went to Berlin in May to perform, and from there to Croatia, where Nyazowa was arrested.

Her detention by authorities was reported on Instagram by Olga Borisowa, a fellow Pussy Riot. He said Ms. Nyazowa was not provided with a lawyer or interpreter for the May 30 trial in Croatia.

"I didn't have enough time to understand what was happening with this arrest," she said. "The only thing I felt was fraud in the whole situation."

Activists were denied the right to receive a single call and were immediately sent to prison by the judge for 40 days. They said.

Prison officials also refused her a parcel and warm clothes for her care.















Pussy Riot played the band Maria (Masha) Aryohina in Berlin last month
(AFP via Getty Images)



"I was not afraid to be banished because I was convinced that Croatia was a country of human rights and democracy.

" But the judge said I was angry that I didn't listen to me. I was in court for only 20 minutes, but no one was with me.

"20 minutes later, I have been imprisoned. "

Since being released from Croatian prison, Ms. Nyazowa has spoken about Croatian women's rights and LGBTQ pride.

She is now moving to Lithuania, where she wants to get a humanitarian visa and stay in the EU.

Croatia Arrests Pussy Riot Activist Sought by Turkmenistan


By AFP
June 2, 2022
Aysoltan Niyazova.Olga Borisova / facebook


Croatian police have arrested a Russian activist linked to protest punk group Pussy Riot, acting on an international warrant issued by Turkmenistan, a member of the group said Wednesday.

Aysoltan Niyazova was arrested on the Croatian border early Monday when she entered the country from Slovenia with the group, Maria Alyokhina told reporters.

Pussy Riot arrived here for a concert in Zagreb as part of its European tour to help Ukraine.

Local media reports say the Turkmen authorities have accused Niyazova of embezzling money from the country's central bank.

But Pussy Riot and Niyazova's lawyer, Lina Budak, say the warrant against her was politically motivated. Local rights activists and Amnesty International have also condemned her detention.

Niyazova was briefly detained in Slovenia on the same arrest warrant issued by Turkmenistan in 2002.

"I want to raise this case just so everyone knows that an innocent person is in prison now and she should be freed," Alyokhina said.

She was addressing reporters in front of the Zagreb prison where Niyazova is being held.

Niyazova's lawyer Budak would not say on what charge she had been arrested.

But she did say her client had already served a six-year jail term in Russia for the offense cited on the Interpol warrant.

"She cannot be tried again, extradited or serve a new sentence," the lawyer said, adding that they were appealing her detention.

Amnesty International joined calls by local rights activists for Niyazova's release.

Zagreb knows that her "activism would put her at great risk of suffering serious abuse, including torture and other ill-treatment, should she be extradited to Turkmenistan," Julia Hall, Amnesty deputy director for Europe, said in a statement.

"Turkmenistan is not a safe country for her or any human rights defender," she added.


Rights group to Croatia: release Pussy Riot member now

Amnesty International is urging Croatia not to extradite to Turkmenistan a member of a Russian music band known for its strident opposition to the policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin

ByThe Associated Press
June 01, 2022, 

ZAGREB, Croatia -- Amnesty International on Wednesday urged Croatia to halt extradition proceedings to Turkmenistan and immediately release a detained member of a Russian music band known for its strident opposition to Russian President Vladimir Putin's policies.

Lawyers for the rights group and the member of the Pussy Riot band said Croatia detained Aysoltan Niyazov on the strength of a 2002 Interpol warrant issued by Turkmenistan for alleged embezzlement. Neighboring Slovenia had previously arrested Niyazov but released her immediately.

Pussy Riot is on a tour in Europe protesting the war in Ukraine and Putin's policies. The band became internationally known after its members were jailed in Russia for their activism.

“Croatian authorities know that Aysoltan Niyazov’s activism would put her at great risk of suffering serious abuse, including torture and other ill-treatment, should she be extradited to Turkmenistan," Amnesty International’s Julia Hall, Deputy Director for Europe, said. “Turkmenistan is not a safe country for her or any human rights defender.”

Niyazov’s lawyer Lina Budak told local Croatian media that authorities have launched a review process for possible extradition to Turkmenistan.

Croatian police have said they were obliged to respond to an outstanding international warrant against Niyazov.

Amnesty International said Interpol warrants have been “notoriously abused by a number of authoritarian regimes and countries with appalling human rights records to try to silence activists and those who speak out about human rights violations."

“Croatia should not be complicit in such practices,” said the group's statement. "Authorities in Zagreb must refuse Turkmenistan’s request for Aysoltan Niyazov’s extradition and immediately release her from detention.”

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