May 2023

Welcome to Caspian Voices, Crude Accountability's monthly newsletter for scholars, policy-makers, and civil society members with hard-to-find information from the Caspian and the Black Sea regions from the communities impacted by oil and gas development.


In this newsletter, check out our latest interview with an environmental defender, read our latest policy briefs on methane in Turkmenistan, and help celebrate the Goldman Environmental Prize winners!

Inner Sunset and Richmond districts of San Francisco. AdobeStock

Daring to Imagine a Chevron-Free Future


Marisol Cantú of the Richmond Progressive Alliance spoke with us about living in Chevron's backyard. Her work is community-centered and provides support and a platform for community members to voice their concerns. Listen to Cantú describe her vision for a Chevron-free future.


Watch the conversation here.

Republic of Chevron

It has been just over 10 years since Chevron's explosion in Richmond, California caused 15,000 people to go to the hospital, and 30 years after Chevron began operating in Kazakhstan. Our report, Republic of Chevron, details the damage Chevron has done in Kazakhstan to both people and the environment. Crude Accountability continues to fight for environmental justice across Central Asia.


Read the report here.

Methane in Turkmenistan

Crude Accountability takes an in-depth look at the methane emissions coming out of Turkmenistan and across its neighbors in Central Asia. Read our latest policy brief to learn about super emitter events, gas leaks, and the ways to prevent them. Aidan Kelly, intern, recommends concrete actions the OSCE should take to help Turkmenistan and others clean up their acts.


Read the full analysis here.

Goldman Environmental Prize Winners Announced!

The Goldman Environmental Prize winners of 2023 were announced last week! Goldman believes that ordinary people can have an extraordinary impact on the planet. From bringing lawsuits against mining companies to securing legal stewardship of forests for Indigenous tribes, these prize winners from all over the world serve as reminders of the power that comes from community-based action.


Read about the winners and their stories of achieving environmental justice for their communities here.

Prove They are Alive! Campaign participates in 2nd Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Torture and Other Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law

On April 24, 2023, the Prove They are Alive! campaign hosted two events during the OSCE SHDM-2 in Vienna on enforced disappearances and torture in Turkmenistan. On the 20th anniversary of the use of the Moscow Mechanism in Turkmenistan in response to the mass repressions of 2003, the campaign calls for the OSCE to make "a new commitment for action among concerned States and a strong resolve to take concrete steps this year to finally achieve tangible progress in ending this heinous crime."


Read the full remarks here and here.

New USCIRF Report Highlights Imprisonment and Torture of Religious Minorities in Turkmenistan

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom released its latest report on the shrinking rights of religious freedom around the world, designating Turkmenistan and Russia as Countries of Particular Concern, along with recommendations that Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan be added to the State Department's Special Watch List. The report highlights Ovadan Depe, the Turkmenistani prison where many of the Disappeared, including those persecuted for their religious practices, are held captive. Turkmenistan restricts religious freedom through legislation requiring religious groups to register with the government and banning the wearing of religious symbols in public, in addition to other intimidation practices.


Read the report here.

Images in this newsletter are licensed for editorial use via Adobe Stock or belong to Crude Accountability.

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