Date of birth: 1947, born in the village of Shahmanin Gasankuly region of Balkan oblast

Citizenship: Turkmen

Residence at time of arrest: Ashgabat

Position when arrested: Chairman of the National Center of Trade Unions of Turkmenistan

Charges:  Arrested in 2003, charges unknown.

Sentence: Date and sentencing were not officially published.

Biography: Arazov was born in the village Shahman, which is now in the Gasankuly district in Balkan region. In 1971 he graduated from the Turkmen Polytechnic Institute specializing in geology and oil and gas fields.

From 1997 until May 20 1998, he was the First Deputy Chairman of the State Consortium, Turkmenoil, after which he took the post of Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Turkmenistan, taking over from Batyr Sardzhaev, who was fired by Niyazov. On Niyazov’s instructions, he focused on attracting foreign investors to E&P and downstream ventures. He was also active in promoting oil and gas export pipelines.[1] Simultaneously, from July 24, 1998 to September 14, 2000, he was also the Executive Director of the Competent Authority on the use of Hydrocarbon Resources under the President of Turkmenistan.

He was the Mayor of the Balkan Velayat from September 18, 2000 until July 7, 2001, and Chairman of the Mejlis of Turkmenistan from July 7, 2001 to March 14, 2002.[2] During this appointment, Niyazov highlighted Arazov’s rare qualities such as unique work ethic, extensive experience, business reputation, and the ability to follow through.

He was Deputy Prime Minister from March 14, 2002 until September 29, 2003, and simultaneously the Defense Minister, Rector of the Military Institute of the Ministry of Defense of Turkmenistan of President Saparmurat Turkmenbashi, and Secretary of the State Security Council of Turkmenistan. On September 29, 2003, he was moved to be Chairman of the National Center of Trade Unions of Turkmenistan. [3]^,[4]^,[5]

He was awarded the honors “Galkinish” (December 1999), “The Star President,” and the medal “For the love of the Fatherland.”[6]

Current situation: Not known. The latest information on his whereabouts is that he was in Ovadan Depe prison at the beginning of 2008.

[1] The Free Library. “TURKMENISTAN – Profile – Redzhepbai Arazov.” http://www.thefreelibrary.com/TURKMENISTAN+-+Profile+-+Redzhepbai+Arazov.-a065464830. Accessed on 1 April 2014.

[2] Wikipedia. “Predsedatel’ Medzhlisa Turkmenistana” http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Председатель_Меджлиса_Туркменистана.   Accessed on 1 April 2014.

[3] Tsentrasia.ru. “Arazov, Redjepbai.” http://www.centrasia.ru/person2.php?&st=1013880026. Accessed on 1 April 2014.

[4] Lenta.ru. “Mamedgel’dyyev, Agagel’dy: Byvshiy ministr oborony i sekretar’ Gosudarstvennogo soveta bezopasnosti” Turkmeniihttp://lenta.ru/lib/14175263/. Accessed on 1 April 2014.

[5] Turkmenistan.ru. “Predsedatelem Parlamenta Turkmenistana Izbran Tagandurdy Khallyyev” http://www.turkmenistan.ru/ru/node/14528. 14.03.02. Accessed on 1 April 2014.

[6] Biography from official paper, Neitralniy Turkmenistan.