Joint call to UAE: Protect Kyrgyz activist Tilekmat Kudaibergen from extradition

A coalition of international human rights organisations, including Freedom for Eurasia, International Partnership for Human Rights (IPHR), Freedom Now, and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, has issued an urgent appeal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to protect Kyrgyz civil society activist Tilekmat Kudaibergen uulu.

Currently in Dubai, Mr. Kudaibergen uluu (also known as Tilekmat Kurenov) faces a serious risk of extradition to Kyrgyzstan, where he has previously been subjected to politically motivated imprisonment, torture, and threats due to his activism. Fearing further persecution, Mr. Kudaibergen uluu left Kyrgyzstan following his release in 2022 and went to the United States, where he sought asylum together with his wife and children. In November 2024, he traveled to Dubai to meet with other activists from Kyrgyzstan. During his stay there, the Kyrgyzstai authorities requested his extradition on new spurious criminal charges. These requests are currently under consideration, and Mr. Kudaibergen uluu has been unable to leave the UAE and reunite with his family in the United States.

The joint NGO letter highlights concerns over misuse of international policing mechanisms by Kyrgyzstani authorities in the activist’s case and calls on the UAE to uphold its international human rights obligations by ensuring he is not forcibly returned to Kyrgyzstan in violation of the non-refoulement ban. This ban – a fundamental principle under international human rights and customary law – prohibits states from forcibly returning individuals to countries where they risk torture or other severe human rights violations. The undersigned organisations urge the UAE to ensure Mr. Kudaibergen’s safety and to facilitate his reunification with his family in the United States.

The joint letter can be downloaded below

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For more background information on the earlier persecution of the activist in Kyrgyzstan, see our update from November 2021