Zhetkerbai Abdramanov, a Karakalpak activist has been subjected to severe human rights violations, including an unlawful extradition, politically motivated charges, and violations of due process. His court hearings are scheduled to begin on March 13, 2025, in Nukus, raising serious concerns about the fairness of the proceedings.
Abdramanov worked as a laborer in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan over the past decade. Since 2021, he has actively used social media platforms – including TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram – to promote Karakalpak language, culture, and patriotism through his profile, “qareken_jetkerbay.”
However, some of his content included reposts of speeches and appeals by Dauletmurat Tazhimuratov, whom Uzbek authorities accused of organizing the July 1–2, 2022, Nukus protests and unlawfully sentenced to sixteen years in prison. Abdramanov shared these materials without malicious intent, simply hoping to raise awareness of Karakalpak issues and connect with his community.
In response, Uzbek authorities charged him in absentia under:
- Article 159, Part 1: Encroachments on the constitutional order.
- Article 244-1: Dissemination of materials that threaten public safety.
Despite living abroad since 2021 and not participating in the Nukus events, Abdramanov was targeted for his online activities. In 2022, he was detained in Kazakhstan for distributing anti-amendment leaflets, then deported to Kyrgyzstan. He later fled to Turkey, fearing arrest after learning he was wanted in Uzbekistan.
In December 2024, after all struggles Abdramanov traveled to Moscow, Russian Federation. Russian immigration officers detained and interrogated him multiple times at Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Murmansk airports – before handing him over to the FSB and then he was secretly deported to Uzbekistan.
Upon return, he was held in pre-trial detention, pressured to give written explanations without proper legal representation, and denied his rights as a suspect. This mirrors Uzbekistan’s broader crackdown on Karakalpak activists, who often face coercion and forced confessions.
With his court hearings scheduled for March 13, 2025, in Nukus, serious concerns remain about the likelihood of an unfair trial, particularly in light of documented patterns of coercion and mistreatment of other detained Karakalpak activists.
We urgently call on the international community to monitor Abdramanov’s trial, demand his immediate release, and pressure Uzbek authorities to respect human rights, freedom of speech, and the protection of ethnic minorities.
More information can be found here
Below: Copy of Abdramanov’s interrogation from January 30, 2025, and the forensic linguistic examination report from September 11, 2024.
