Date of Birth: 1950 or 1956

Citizenship: Turkmen

Residence at time of arrest: Unknown

Position when arrested: Unemployed

Date of arrest: He was detained at the end of November 2002, and the video of his “confession” was shown on December 18, 2002.

Charges: On January 21, 2003, he was convicted of involvement in the alleged assassination attempt on President Niyazov. He was convicted by the Ashgabat city court of violating Art.14-101, part 2, paragraph “a”, “b”, “f”, “g”, “h”, “i”, “l”, 129 Part 3, Part 1 169, 2, 174 Part 2, Part 1 176 214 Part 2, Part 1 of 218, 2.3, 231 Part 4, paragraph “a”, “b”, 235 part 2, paragraph “a”, “b “254 Part 4, paragraph “a”, “b”, 271 Part 3, Part 1 273 275 Part 1 and Part 3 287 of the Criminal Code of Turkmenistan.[1]

Sentence: Gundogdyev was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment: 5 years in prison, and the rest in a penal colony with confiscation of property, followed by living in a prescribed place for 5 years, and a prohibition against holding substantive and responsible management positions for 3 years.[2]

Biography: Born in Dashoguz. Gundogdyev was the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Leninist Communist Youth Union from July 1985 until August 1989, after which he served as a National Deputy of the High Council of the USSR from the Vekil-Bazarskoy region, from 1989-1991. At this time he was also the Secretary of the Soviet High Committee on Youth. On October 29, 1991, he was elected Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republics of the High Council of the USSR. From 1992, he served as the Head of the International Department of the Presidential Administration, and after 1994 (exact date unknown), he became the Head of the Department of State Protocol and International Relations. At the same time, he was the Chief Advisor to the Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Boris Shikhmuradov, from February 15, 1995, overseeing foreign policy issues. On April 7, 1994, he was promoted to the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. On July 23, 1997, he became the Head of Administration of Dashoguz region (Hyakim).[3]^,[4] On September 11, 2000, he was dismissed for ‘serious shortcomings in his work.’ He was awarded the “Garashsyz Turkmenistan Bolan Beyik Soygusi Ychin” Prize in December 1999.

Current situation: It was announced that he was released on October 20, 2006 under an amnesty in connection with his failing health (on October 16, 2006, Niyazov announced the release of 8 “Novemberists;” other names were unknown[5]) and sent to a remote village in Dashoguz province.[6] In May 2008, a relative of Gundogdyev told Amnesty International that he was still in prison.[7] In December 2013, Farid Tukhbatullin also stated that his release was never confirmed. In May 2008, his relatives knew that he was still in prison.[8]

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[1] Memorial. “Vragi naroda (Tyrkmenskogo) na stranitsah Ashgabatskovo Ejedelnika ‘Adolat’” Translation.” 04.02.2003. Accessed on 10 January 2014.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Tsentral’no-Aziatskiy Tolstyy Zhurnal “Turkmenskaya Elita – Vzglyad Iznutri” Http://Www.Ctaj.Elcat.Kg/Tolstyi/A/A063.Htm. Accessed on 15 January 2014.

[4] Tsentrasia.ru “GUNDOGDYYEV Yazgel’dy Potayevich” http://www.centrasia.ru/person2.php?&st=1013880083. Accessed on 13 January 2014.

[5] http://archive.chrono-tm.org/?id=176

[6] Tsentrasia.ru “GUNDOGDYYEV Yazgel’dy Potayevich” http://www.centrasia.ru/person2.php?&st=1013880083. Accessed on 13 January 2014.

[7] Human Rights in Russia “V Turkmenii prodolzhayut narushat’sya prava cheloveka” 13.02.2009. http://www.hro.org/node/4550б. Accessed on 10 March 2014.

[8] Amnesty International. “DOCUMENT – TURKMENISTAN: INDIVIDUALS CONTINUE TO BE AT RISK OF VIOLATIONS IN TURKMENISTAN” http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/EUR61/001/2009/en/fe05b48e-f3fc-42da-b6a1-a8ea96230c57/eur610012009ru.html. Accessed on 10 March 2014.