Turkmenistan: Soldiers Forced to Pick 50 Kilograms of Cotton a Day

Turkmenistan: Soldiers Forced to Pick 50 Kilograms of Cotton a Day Since mid-September, conscript soldiers in Turkmenistan’s Ahal and Balkan regions have reportedly been deployed to pick cotton. According to Radio Azatlyk, citing relatives of soldiers, each serviceman is required to collect 50 kilograms of cotton per day. Relatives say that soldiers who fail to meet the quota are punished: they may be deprived of food and denied the opportunity to wash. On some fields, there is reportedly so little cotton that meeting the quota is extremely difficult, yet commanders continue to demand that soldiers fulfil it. The soldiers are staying in tents near the cotton fields and working in hot weather. Their relatives report inadequate sanitary and living conditions. According to one father, his son has developed sores on his body. Families are particularly outraged by the use of conscripts as unpaid labour. “We did not send our child to the army to be used as an unpaid worker,” Radio Azatlyk quotes the mother of one serviceman as saying. The outlet reported that it was unable to obtain comments from the relevant military units or Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Defence. Such reports are not new. In a report published on 12 May 2026 concerning the 2025 cotton harvest, Cotton Campaign also reported the unpaid deployment of soldiers to cotton picking in the Ahal and Lebap regions. The use of military personnel for agricultural work raises serious concerns under international standards on forced labour. ILO Convention No. 29 provides an exception for compulsory military service only for work of a purely military character. Cotton picking does not fall within that exception. All of this is taking place against the backdrop of official statements claiming that “all necessary conditions for productive work and rest” have been created for participants in the cotton harvest. Apparently, soldiers required to pick 50 kilograms of cotton under threat of punishment simply did not make it into this official picture of prosperity. 📢 Report Cases of Forced Labour We call on conscript soldiers, their relatives, and all citizens who experience labour rights violations or forced labour, or who have information about such practices, not to remain silent and to report these violations. Reports can be submitted directly to the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Turkmenistan: 📧 teswir@ilo.org 📞 +993 71 659970 📍 UN House, 21 Archabil Avenue, Ashgabat, Turkmenistan Information can also be submitted to the Dayanç Human Rights Platform / Turkmenistan: 📧 dayanchcivil@gmail.com 🌐 http://dayanchcivil.com/ Reports submitted to Dayanç can be documented confidentially. Whenever possible, please preserve photographs, videos, messages, documents, and other materials that may help substantiate cases of forced labour. Source: Radio Azatlyk https://www.azathabar.com/a/pagta-yygymyna-cekilen-esgerlere-50-kilogramlyk-borcnama-goyulyar/33864256.html