Belarusian authorities have refused asylum to a transgender woman from Uzbekistan and who says she will face torture and abuse if she goes back. The woman, who asked to be referred to as Karina, said she was informed on July 13 about the authorities’ decision not to provide her with asylum citing the lack of proof showing that she may face torture and violence back in Uzbekistan. Karina, who is 26, officially applied for asylum in Belarus in December. Karina was born a man and her legal Uzbek documents describe her gender as male. Homosexual relations are criminalized and punishable by up to three years in prison in Uzbekistan. Karina told RFE/RL earlier that she had to leave Uzbekistan after police detained her four times between 2014 and 2017, beating and torturing her, and demanding the names of other lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the country.