Freedom for Eurasia has been monitoring the situation of Zhetkerbai Abdramanov, who has been seeking asylum in various countries since 2022. The authorities in Uzbekistan initiated a criminal case against him under Article 159, Part 1 (public calls for violation of the unity of Uzbekistan’s territory, etc.) and Article 244-1, Part 3, Paragraph “a” (distribution of materials threatening public safety, by prior conspiracy) of the Criminal Code of Uzbekistan. An arrest warrant was issued for him in January 2024.
On June 29, 2022, just two days before the protests in Karakalpakstan, Abdramanov, who was working in Kazakhstan at the time, was detained in one of Almaty’s markets for distributing materials expressing disagreement with the proposed changes to the Constitution of Uzbekistan, which envisaged the abolition of the sovereignty of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, and for collecting signatures from Karakalpaks in Kazakhstan against these constitutional amendments. He was warned by the police to stop his civic activism and was released. Abdramanov did not comply and continued his activism via social media, criticizing President Mirziyoyev’s regime’s actions against the Karakalpaks.
Consequently, on January 31, 2023, he was deported to Kyrgyzstan for allegedly violating migration laws. Kazakh authorities provided a police escort that drove him 400 km to the border with Kyrgyzstan and dumped him there. From Kyrgyzstan, he flew to Turkiye. In 2023, he attempted to enter Moldova to seek asylum but was deported back to Istanbul. Recently, after one year Abdramanov was deported from Turkiye to the UAE. From the UAE, Abdramanov flew to Russia and arrived in Moscow on December 16, 2024, where he was detained at passport control by police due to an international arrest warrant from Uzbekistan.
As soon as Freedom for Eurasia was informed of Abdramanov’s detention in Moscow, we contacted a human rights organization in Russia, who agreed to provide him with legal representation free of charge. Attorneys immediately took up his case, and after 48 hours in custody, Abdramanov was released by the prosecutor’s office, as there was no evidence of criminal activity according to Russian law, and Uzbekistan failed to provide additional requested documents.
After his release, Freedom for Eurasia and the attorney who represented Abdramanov explained his rights and the safety measures he could take. Abdramanov was informed that he must leave Russia or he must register at his place of residence within seven days, or he could also apply for asylum in Russia, which would provide him protection from extradition for a while since the success rate for Central Asian refugees in Russia is very low. He was unofficially advised by the prosecutor to leave Russia quickly due to the risk of repeated police detentions and arrests due to the arrest warrant from Uzbekistan.
On December 23, Abdramanov traveled to Murmansk, where he registered temporarily at a hostel. This registration was reported to the police, leading to his re-arrest by the Murmansk police and representatives of FSB for further investigation. Upon learning of this situation, Freedom for Eurasia contacted lawyers in Murmansk who agreed to represent Zhetkerbai `Abdramanov. He was detained until December 25.
On December 26, Abdramanov was sent on the first available flight from Murmansk to Moscow and arrived in Domodedovo Airport around 18:00 Moscow time. He sent a message informing his lawyer in Moscow and Freedom For Eurasia about his arrival and dissapeared. There was no contact with him since then. According to today’s latest unofficial information, Zhetkerbai Abdramanov has been unlawfully and forcefully transferred to Uzbekistan. Freedom For Eurasia also received information that Uzbek SGB together with Russian FSB organized Abdramanov’s abduction in the Domodedovo airport with the aim to return him to Uzbekistan.
We ask the international community to demand from Uzbekistan authorities information on whereabouts of Zhetkerbai Abdramanov, circumstances of his dissaperance from the Domodedovo airport and his immediate release.
