In 2002 it was reported that "hatever people might think of the book in private, public criticism of the work would be unthinkable." Public criticism of or even insufficient reverence to the text was seen as the equivalent to showing disrespect to the President himself, and harshly punished by dispossession, imprisonment or torture of the offender or the offender's whole family if the violation were grave enough. Since Niyazov's death, punishment for disrespect of the book is in a questionable status.