Supreme Court Upholds Denial of Asylum for Karakalpak Activist Aqylbek Muratbai
Photo: screenshot
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
Latest news
- 2,500 Participants from 22 Countries: Almaty Opens the Running Season
- Snow and Frost: Weather Forecast for February 15
- Tokayev congratulates Serbia’s President Vucic on Statehood Day
- Mikhail Shaidorov Wins Kazakhstan’s First Winter Olympic Gold Since 1994
- Indian Crested Porcupines Spotted by Camera Trap in Ile-Alatau National Park
- Kazakhstan’s Air Pollution Isn’t Driven by Factories — Ministry of Ecology
- How the US Views Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Reform and Free Speech
- US Ambassador to Kazakhstan: Visa Restrictions for Kazakhstanis Are a Temporary Measure
- China-to-Russia Shipments Are Increasingly Bypassing Kazakhstan
- Shokan Ualikhanov Private School Reclassified as Large Business After Staff Tops 250
- Former Priest Yakov Vorontsov Reportedly Detained in Kazakhstan
- Kazakhstan Proposes Differentiated Toll Rates for Transit Foreign Drivers
- World Bank Ready to Provide Kazakhstan Up to $1 Billion a Year for Six Years
- Woman Forced to Move and Change Jobs Repeatedly as Ex-Husband Stalked Her
- Kazakhstanis Are Getting Married Less Often
- Why Online Voting Isn’t Coming for the 2026 Referendum
- Mephedrone lab network uncovered in Almaty’s private houses
- Kazakhstan’s Domestic Trade Slows in January
- A Man Spent Six Months in Jail for Nothing — Court Awards Millions from the State
- Over 100M Tenge in Budget Money Allegedly Spent on Gambling in West Kazakhstan
