Azizbek Ashurov

Azizbek Ashurov (Kyrgyz: Азизбек Ашуров) is a Kyrgyz human-rights lawyer born in Uzbekistan. He is the founder of the Ferghana Valley Lawyers Without Borders organization and is known for his work to end statelessness in Kyrgyzstan.

Azizbek Ashurov
Азизбек Ашуров
Ashurov in 2022
Born
Ashurov Azizbek Dzhunusovich
CitizenshipKyrgyzstan
Occupationhuman rights lawyer
AwardsNansen Refugee Award (2019)

Ashurov was awarded the Nansen Refugee Award for his efforts in 2019.[1] He is the first person to receive the award for work on statelessness.[2]

Personal life

Ashurov and his family moved from Uzbekistan to Kyrgyzstan after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.[3] Despite his legal training, he struggled to navigate the process of getting Kyrgyz citizenship.[3]

Career

Ashurov helped found the Ferghana Valley Lawyers Without Borders organization to assist stateless people in Kyrgyzstan obtain citizenship. He collaborated with the Kyrgyzstani government on efforts to end statelessness in the country, and an amnesty on all fines levied towards stateless people.[3][4] Ashurov travelled by car and by horse to support undocumented people in remote parts of Kyrgyzstan. A total of 13,000 stateless people obtained citizenship in 2019, making Kyrgyzstan the first country to end statelessness.[5]

In 2021, Ashurov established a center on nationality issues as part of a project implemented with his Nansen Award prize.[6] In cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Development of the Kyrgyz Republic, the center provides capacity building and education for state services, lawyers, and law students on issues of nationality, statelessness, and migration.

References
  1. Fossen, Magnus (2019-10-13). "– Vidkun Quisling var ikke bare ond". www.abcnyheter.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  2. "High-Level Segment on Statelessness" (PDF). UNHCR. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
  3. "'Tenacious' Kyrgyz lawyer and statelessness champion, wins prestigious UNHCR prize". UN News. 2019-10-02. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  4. Wood, Colleen (31 October 2019). "Kyrgyzstan Eradicates Statelessness, Challenges Remain". The Diplomat. ProQuest 2310633664.
  5. "Nobel Peace Center". Nobel Peace Center. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  6. "The UN Refugee Agency supports the prevention of statelessness in Kyrgyzstan". 22 September 2021. Retrieved 29 April 2023.
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