The country is widely criticized for its poor human rights. Notable issues were its treatment of minorities, press freedoms, and religious freedoms. After its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the sovereign state of Turkmenistan has been ruled by two repressive totalitarian regimes. It was ruled by President for Life Saparmurat Niyazov (also known as ''Türkmenbaşy'' or "Head of the Turkmens") until his death in 2006. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow became president in 2007 after winning a non-democratic election (he had been vice-president and then acting president previously). The use of the death penalty was formally abolished in the 2008 constitution.