Aqylbek Muratbai, a human rights defender from Uzbekistan and long-time resident of Kazakhstan, has been persecuted for his peaceful advocacy on behalf of the Karakalpak people, particularly for exposing human rights violations following the July 2022 protests in Karakalpakstan. His activism focused on defending the Karakalpak minority’s cultural and political rights led to politically motivated charges by the Uzbek authorities accusing him of “extremism” and “inciting unrest.”
On 15 February 2024, he was arrested in Almaty at Uzbekistan’s request and spent one year in pre-trial detention before being released on 15 February 2025. Despite credible evidence that he faced persecution if returned to Uzbekistan, the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan on 23 September 2025 rejected his asylum appeal, demonstrating Kazakhstan’s failure to uphold its obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and the Convention Against Torture.
Muratbai’s humanitarian visa requests to several European Union countries were also denied on the false premise that Kazakhstan was a safe country for him to remain in.
Because his Uzbek passport expired Muratbai was unable to leave legally. Following increased international advocacy, he was ultimately granted a humanitarian visa and safely departed Kazakhstan on 6 November 2025 to a safe third country, where he will continue his human rights work defending the Karakalpak people.