Kazakh authorities turned over on August 15 an Uzbek refugee to representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), RFE/RL reported. The unnamed Uzbek national, who sought refuge in Kazakhstan after fleeing from his native Uzbekistan in 1999, was arrested by the Kazakh police in June after Uzbekistan presented an extradition request. UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis stated on August 15 that the man would be immediately resettled in an undisclosed third country, citing concerns for his safety if he was returned to Uzbekistan. In a widely criticized move, officials in neighboring Kyrgyzstan earlier this month extradited to Uzbekistan four UN refugees and one asylum seeker. The extradited Uzbeks were sought for their alleged participation in protests in Andijon that reportedly sparked a military crackdown that killed hundreds of unarmed civilians last May. (RFE/RL)