Turkmenistan: The changes in the case of Andrey Zatoka
On November 6, 2009 the Oblast Court of Dashovuz (Turkmenistan) changed the verdict: instead of imprisonment the condemned environmental expert and Russian citizen Andrey Zatoka will have to pay the fine. At this moment, the documents of Zatoka, allowing him to leave for Russia, are being processed by the migration service. It has to be mentioned that Zatoka asked Russian embassy in Ashgabat for diplomatic and legal support, indicating his desire to renounce Turkmen nationality and permanently move to Russia.
Ferghana.Ru sources report that the amount of fine, to be paid by Zatoka, is 5 million manat (about 350 US dollars).
Andrey Zatoka, the internationally recognized ecologist and the citizen of both Russia and Turkmenistan, was sentenced to 5 years of jail. He was arrested in Dashovuz while buying foodstuff for his birthday party. Being attacked by unknown men there Zatoka showed resistance and called for police. Two policemen immediately took both to the police department and Zatoka was accused of causing bodily injury to the drug addict who served three sentences. «The victim» presented the image of broken hand (allegedly, broken by Zatoka); however, it was identified that his hand was broken earlier in May. The investigation was completed within amazingly short period: October 20-29.
Friends and colleagues of Andrey Zatoka launched considerable international campaign. Human Rights Watch demanded the immediate release of Zatoka. Crude Accountability international environmental organization addressed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov with the appeal to immediately free Andrey Zatoka.
International Socio-environmental union asked Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to protect the interests of Russian citizen. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov was contacted by World Wildlife Fund, Greenpeace and ISEU, demanding to take personal control over «Zatoka’s case». The Council for civil society institutes and human rights development under Russian President also showed care. The pickets in support of Zatoka were organized in Moscow and Washington D.C.
Andrey Lvovich Zatoka and his wife Eugenia moved to Turkmenistan in 1982 from Yekaterinburg where they had graduated from biology department of Ural State University. Both were active members of national environmental protection campaign, also held in Turkmenistan at the end of 1970s and beginning of 1980s. This phenomenon was named «Turkmen mission». Within few years Turkmen environmental protection system became the best in the Soviet Union and, according to WWF, Andrey and Eugenia Zatoka played important role there.
It is interesting to note that after the collapse of USSR nearly all members of «Turkmen mission» left Turkmenistan. Now Andrey Zatoka, the world-famous scientist and one of the environmental leaders in post-Soviet space, is coming back home.