On December 17, 2024, Zhetkerbay Abdiramanov, an asylum seeker from Karakalpakstan, was detained at passport control at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow. Abdiramanov had arrived in Russia from the UAE to seek asylum. In December 2023, he was charged in absentia under Article 159, part 1 (Encroachments on the constitutional order) and Article 244-1 (Dissemination of materials that threaten public safety) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Abdiramanov, who was working in Kazakhstan at the time, had been detained on June 29, 2022, just two days before the protests in Karakalpakstan, at an Almaty market for distributing materials opposing constitutional amendments in Uzbekistan that would abolish Karakalpakstan’s sovereignty. He was also involved in collecting signatures from Karakalpaks in Kazakhstan against the proposed changes. The pretext for his arrest was an expired residency registration. He was warned by police to cease his civic activism and was released.
Despite this, Abdiramanov continued his activism online, criticizing President Mirziyoyev’s regime and its actions against the Karakalpak people. As a result, on January 31, 2023, he was deported to Kyrgyzstan for allegedly violating migration laws. Kazakh authorities escorted him to the Kyrgyz border, a 400 km journey. Afterward, he attempted to travel to a third country but was denied entry at several airports and faced repeated deportations, making it difficult for him to apply for asylum.
Currently, Abdiramanov is under arrest, and, according to information received by Freedom for Eurasia, the Khimki City Court in Moscow will decide on his case. There is no information at this time regarding whether Abdiramanov has submitted an asylum request. Freedom for Eurasia, in coordination with human rights organizations, has agreed to provide legal representation for him.
