Clampdown on civil rights activists continues 26.07.2010 Travel ban as punishment
 Another public activist was added to the list of those barred from exiting the country. On July 16 Umida Dzhumabaeva who was heading for Kazakhstan via Bekdash at the invitation of her friends was denied exit from the country by the Migration Office. All of her documents met all requirements but the personnel of the Migration Service did not provide any explanation for the travel ban and advised her to contact Ashgabat.
At the same time, for us the reason is obvious – the almighty National Security Ministry is taking revenge on Umida for her public activities and friendship with the “wrong” individuals - the Myatievs, who were recently subjected to repression on political grounds, the prominent human rights defender Natalya Shabunts and the former prisoner of consciousness Andrey Zatoka.
The National Security Ministry has a special score to settle with the Zatoka family after his open letter to the General Prosecutor’s Office of Turkmenistan described the unscrupulous methods used by the special services. His spouse Evgeniya was also actively involved in his liberation campaign and also spoke of the troubles inflicted upon her by the law-enforcement authorities to the global community.
Umida Dzhumabaeva has been involved in social projects since 2004 and has participated in several projects, supported by Counterpart Consortium and the US Embassy. It should be noted that she had been repeatedly subjected to repression and explicit persecution exerted by the authorities. Thus, after her trip to US in 2006 she was dismissed from the school, where she had been employed for many years. In summer 2008 the public grain mill constructed in the framework of the Counterpart project was knocked down, which we also reported on.
During A.Zatoka’s first arrest, Umida was his official interpreter and his authorized representative, looked after the apartment and made sure that the numerous plants and terrarium animals survived.
During A.Zatoka’s second arrest she applied to be the interpreter, but the investigation officer considered her to be biased and rejected her – probably, following a request from the MNS. The hasty deportation of Zatoka’s family from Turkmenistan was designed to minimize their contacts with remaining friends and colleagues.
Umida was suspected of transferring information to opposition websites, which she never did. However, even the moral support and friendship with “dissidents” which Umida does not deny, is viewed by today’s authorities as acts of treason and the exit ban or ousting from the country forever was chosen as the main punishment. | 
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