International Day of Happiness: Does It Matter for the Citizens of Turkmenistan?

Today, March 20, the world marks the International Day of Happiness — a day meant to highlight the importance of well-being, dignity, and inner harmony. But a question arises: does this day apply to the citizens of Turkmenistan? Unfortunately, the answer is clear — no. How can a society be happy when the судьбы of millions are decided by a single ruling clan? How can people feel happiness when their most basic rights are systematically violated? In Turkmenistan, even fundamental rights — guaranteed both by national legislation and international law — remain merely declarative. The right to freedom of movement — is violated. Citizens are denied the ability to leave the country, effectively turning them into hostages within their own state. The right to obtain identity documents — is ignored. The refusal to issue passports through diplomatic missions abroad leaves people without legal status and makes them vulnerable. The right to freedom of expression — is suppressed. Civil activists and human rights defenders face transnational repression, persecution, and are forced to live in fear and silence. The right to access information — is restricted. The information space is tightly controlled, where state and affiliated media serve the interests of a single clan, depriving citizens of independent and objective information. The judicial system — lacks independence. It functions not as an instrument of justice, but as a mechanism for maintaining power. This leads to another question: can there be happiness where there is no freedom, justice, or protection of human rights? Why are citizens of one of the richest countries forced to become labor migrants? Why are they deprived of the opportunity to live with dignity in their own homeland? The answer is очевиден. But the solution remains absent. Today is not only a day to speak about happiness. It is also a day to remind the world: 👉 Happiness is impossible without human rights 👉 Freedom is not a privilege — it is a right 👉 The state is its people, not its rulers And until these principles are upheld, the International Day of Happiness for the citizens of Turkmenistan will remain only a symbol of what they are denied. Human Rights Platform of the Civil Movement “Dayanch” / Turkmenistan