Karakalpak Activist Aqylbek Muratbai Seeks Refugee Status

Civil activist from Karakalpakstan, Aqylbek Muratbai, reported that on September 23 the Supreme Court in Astana will begin considering his asylum case, Orda.kz reports.

Muratbai fears that the process will most likely be limited to a single session, at which he will receive a final refusal.

After that, two scenarios are possible — extradition to Uzbekistan with a subsequent prison term or urgent departure to a third country, which so far cannot be organized due to the ‘anti-migration policy in many countries,’ the activist said.

Aqylbek Muratbai, who spent a year in an Almaty pretrial detention center, also stated yesterday that the consulates of Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan remain inactive regarding their arrested citizens.

According to him, many migrants are isolated for months without legal assistance and access to information, and they are often extradited without warm clothing and without contact with their families.

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov