“One of the best of our people has left — and this further complicates relations between the Karakalpaks and the Uzbek authorities,” a fellow Karakalpak activist told The Diplomat.
Uzbek authorities have told Kazakh authorities that Urazbayev never officially renounced his Uzbek citizenship and therefore Kazakh authorities have revoked his Kazakh citizenship.
Karakalpakstan has a constitutional right to secede from Uzbekistan via referendum, but calling for such a vote results in immense pressure and often prison terms.