Supreme Court Upholds Denial of Asylum for Karakalpak Activist Aqylbek Muratbai

The Supreme Court in Astana has upheld earlier court rulings, denying asylum to Karakalpak activist Aqylbek Muratbai, Orda.kz reports.

Muratbai announced the decision on the social media platform X:

The Astana court, as expected, upheld the rulings of the previous courts. My application for asylum in Kazakhstan was definitively denied.

The activist was detained in Almaty on February 15, 2024, and arrested shortly after.

Uzbekistan is seeking his extradition on charges of public calls for mass unrest and violence, as well as distributing materials deemed to threaten public safety.

Commenting on the Supreme Court hearing on September 23, Muratbai said he had expected the trial to last only one session. He outlined two possible outcomes: extradition to Uzbekistan, where he faces prison, or an urgent departure to a third country — though this is complicated by "anti-migration policies in many countries."

He also recently highlighted the lack of consular support for labor migrants, noting that many remain isolated for months without lawyers or assistance.

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov