TURKMENISTAN: Turkmenistan, target of criticism for its human rights record, has agreed to allow international observers into its prisons, diplomats in the Central Asian state said yesterday.
Turkmenistan is ruled by president-for-life Saparmurat Niyazov, who allows no domestic opposition.
The United Nations last month asked for independent access to the country's prisons, and criticised the lack of religious and political freedom.
Human rights groups say Turkmen prisons are brutal and overcrowded, and that arbitrary arrest is rife.
"The leader said there were no obstacles to giving international observers access to prisons," said one Western diplomat observing military exercises when Mr Niyazov announced his initiative.
Mr Niyazov, who goes by the name of Turkmenbashi the Great, or "father of the Turkmen", has ruled his energy-rich desert nation since Soviet times and cultivated a bizarre personality cult in which schooling is based around study of a moral code he penned.
Months, a city, public holidays, a lake and even a meteorite have been named after him or members of his family.
He strengthened his rule markedly after an alleged assassination attempt in November 2002 - extending the registering of foreigners and increasing video surveillance.
A televised trial convicted some 60 people of involvement - including insider-turned-dissident Boris Shikhmuradov - and diplomats said observers would have no access to those "who took part in the November 25th events".
Despite this restriction on access, rights and democracy watchdog the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe has welcomed the announcement as a "positive step".
But a source in Moscow close to Mr Shikhmuradov's family said international access to prisons would not make any difference to the conditions of prisoners.
"He'll just let the observers in and show them horses and ancient ruins like he normally does," the source said.