Death, Detention, Deportation: The Plight of Karakalpak Activists
Karakalpak activists are experiencing problems in Kazakhstan and in Europe.
Karakalpak activists are experiencing problems in Kazakhstan and in Europe. Trouble started after Uzbek security forces brutally suppressed a peaceful protest over the region’s sovereignty within Uzbekistan in Nukus, capital of the Karakalpakstan Sovereign Republic, in July 2022. This year, a Karakalpak activists died in Kazakhstan while another is currently detained there. Two more activists in Europe face possible deportation. Joining host Bruce Pannier are Arzu, a pseudonym for a Karakalpak activist now living outside Uzbekistan; Catherine Putz, managing editor at The Diplomat magazine; Leila Seiitbek, chairwoman of the NGO Freedom For Eurasia; and noted human rights lawyer Steve Swerdlow. (Note: Arzu’s comments have been voiced over to protect family and friends in Karakalpakstan.)
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Bi-weekly, host Bruce Pannier welcomes a panel of expert guests to discuss significant political developments and pressing social issues affecting the nations of Central Asia.
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