Boris Syhmyradow
Encyclopedia
Boris Orazowiç Şyhmyradow (in Russian
: Борис Шихмурадов, Boris Shikhmuradov, born 1949) was Minister of Foreign Affairs
of Turkmenistan
from 1995 to 2000. He is currently serving a life sentence in prison after he was convicted of participation in a plot against Turkmen
President Saparmurat Niyazov
in 2002.
Şyhmyradow was born in Ashgabat to an Armenian
mother and Turkmen father. Beginning in 1971, he worked in the Soviet embassies to Pakistan
and India
. After Turkmenistan gained independence, in 1992 he became Deputy Foreign Minister and then First Deputy Foreign Minister; he also became Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers in the same year. He became Foreign Minister in 1995 and served in that position for five years. He subsequently became a Special Envoy dealing with Caspian Sea
affairs and the normalization of the situation in Afghanistan
in June 2000. He served in that post until March 2001, when he became Turkmenistan's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China
. He remained in the latter position until November 2001, when he announced his opposition to President Niyazov.
Following an alleged assassination attempt against Niyazov on November 25, 2002, Şyhmyradow was arrested in Ashgabat (he had previously been in exile in Russia
) on December 25, 2002. It was alleged that, as part of the plot, he had entered Turkmenistan from Uzbekistan
prior to the attempt on Niyazov's life, and that, after it failed, he had taken refuge in the Uzbek embassy from November 26 to December 7. Subsequently, according to Şyhmyradow's confession, he stayed in a friend's apartment until he was captured. This confession was shown on television; in it, he called himself "a criminal able only to destroy the state" and a drug addict, and he also praised Niyazov very highly. Some suspected that torture was used to obtain the confession. On December 30, Şyhmyradow was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the maximum possible punishment; however, the People's Council
amended the criminal code shortly thereafter to enable life sentences for traitors, and Şyhmyradow's sentence was accordingly changed.
Following Niyazov's death in December 2006, his successor, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, was asked about the fates of Şyhmyradow and alleged co-conspirator Batyr Berdiýew at a visit to Columbia University
in September 2007. Berdimuhamedow said that he thought they were still alive. He also mentioned the Gadyr Gijesi ("Night of Forgiveness"), an October occasion that is customarily marked by the release of prisoners, leading to speculation that Şyhmyradow might be released. On the occasion, Şyhmyradow's wife and nephew were released on October 8, 2007, but Şyhmyradow himself was not.
Nothing has been heard of Şyhmyradow since 2007; it is thought that he is still imprisoned or that he may have died in prison.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Борис Шихмурадов, Boris Shikhmuradov, born 1949) was Minister of Foreign Affairs
Foreign minister
A Minister of Foreign Affairs, or foreign minister, is a cabinet minister who helps form the foreign policy of a sovereign state. The foreign minister is often regarded as the most senior ministerial position below that of the head of government . It is often granted to the deputy prime minister in...
of Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
from 1995 to 2000. He is currently serving a life sentence in prison after he was convicted of participation in a plot against Turkmen
Turkmenistan
Turkmenistan , formerly also known as Turkmenia is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic . Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states...
President Saparmurat Niyazov
Saparmurat Niyazov
Saparmurat Atayevich Niyazov; , was a Turkmen politician who served as President of Turkmenistan from 2 November 1990 until his death in 2006...
in 2002.
Şyhmyradow was born in Ashgabat to an Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
mother and Turkmen father. Beginning in 1971, he worked in the Soviet embassies to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. After Turkmenistan gained independence, in 1992 he became Deputy Foreign Minister and then First Deputy Foreign Minister; he also became Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers in the same year. He became Foreign Minister in 1995 and served in that position for five years. He subsequently became a Special Envoy dealing with Caspian Sea
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. The sea has a surface area of and a volume of...
affairs and the normalization of the situation in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in June 2000. He served in that post until March 2001, when he became Turkmenistan's Ambassador to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. He remained in the latter position until November 2001, when he announced his opposition to President Niyazov.
Following an alleged assassination attempt against Niyazov on November 25, 2002, Şyhmyradow was arrested in Ashgabat (he had previously been in exile in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
) on December 25, 2002. It was alleged that, as part of the plot, he had entered Turkmenistan from Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan , officially the Republic of Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia and one of the six independent Turkic states. It shares borders with Kazakhstan to the west and to the north, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to the east, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan to the south....
prior to the attempt on Niyazov's life, and that, after it failed, he had taken refuge in the Uzbek embassy from November 26 to December 7. Subsequently, according to Şyhmyradow's confession, he stayed in a friend's apartment until he was captured. This confession was shown on television; in it, he called himself "a criminal able only to destroy the state" and a drug addict, and he also praised Niyazov very highly. Some suspected that torture was used to obtain the confession. On December 30, Şyhmyradow was sentenced to 25 years in prison, the maximum possible punishment; however, the People's Council
People's Council of Turkmenistan
The Halk Maslahaty was the highest representative body in Turkmenistan . It was abolished in the new constitution of 2008....
amended the criminal code shortly thereafter to enable life sentences for traitors, and Şyhmyradow's sentence was accordingly changed.
Following Niyazov's death in December 2006, his successor, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, was asked about the fates of Şyhmyradow and alleged co-conspirator Batyr Berdiýew at a visit to Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
in September 2007. Berdimuhamedow said that he thought they were still alive. He also mentioned the Gadyr Gijesi ("Night of Forgiveness"), an October occasion that is customarily marked by the release of prisoners, leading to speculation that Şyhmyradow might be released. On the occasion, Şyhmyradow's wife and nephew were released on October 8, 2007, but Şyhmyradow himself was not.
Nothing has been heard of Şyhmyradow since 2007; it is thought that he is still imprisoned or that he may have died in prison.