Ex-Turkmen Official Gets Life for Plot

ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan —  In a trial of less than a day, a former Turkmen foreign minister was convicted and sentenced to life in prison for plotting to assassinate the president.

The government says President Saparmurad A. Niyazov’s motorcade came under fire Nov. 25. He was unhurt, but four police officers were wounded, officials have said. Niyazov blamed former Foreign Minister Boris Shikhmuradov for masterminding the alleged attack.

On Monday, the People’s Council, an assembly of Niyazov loyalists, watched a videotaped confession by Shikhmuradov, excerpts of which had been aired on state TV the day before. Shikhmuradov, his eyes down and his speech halting, took blame and renounced the opposition, calling it a criminal gang.

“I am not a person who is capable of running the state, but on the contrary, a criminal who is capable only of destroying the state,” he said. He said he had not been tortured into giving a confession.

The assembly later watched a video hookup with the Supreme Court, where a prosecutor read out the charges against Shikhmuradov, who said he had no objection. He was then sentenced to 25 years in prison after a trial lasting less than a day.

As Niyazov looked on from the podium and his giant portrait smiled down from the wall, the delegates increased the sentence to life in prison, declaring Shikhmuradov and two alleged co-conspirators traitors. Critics said the proceedings were reminiscent of the purges under Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

Some assembly members called for Shikhmuradov to be shot, but Niyazov reminded them that Turkmenistan eliminated the death penalty in 1999.

“They won’t have death, but they won’t have forgiveness, either,” Niyazov said. “Let them see all the harshness of prison.”