American Jailed in Plot Released to U.S.
An American citizen accused in an alleged plot to kill Turkmenistan’s president was handed over to U.S. officials in Ashgabat after almost five months in prison. Opposition leaders and human rights advocates contend that the assassination attempt was fabricated to justify a crackdown on President Sapamurat Niyazov’s foes.
Leonid Komarovsky of Newton, Mass., was arrested Nov. 26. The State Department criticized Turkmenistan’s investigation of the unsuccessful attack, saying U.S. officials had received reports that entire families of suspects were being rounded up.
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