MP who called Siberia "the land of Uzbeks" renounces mandate

Khalid Tagizade, a deputy of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug Duma, who said that Siberia is the historical homeland of Uzbeks, has resigned from his mandate.

The fact is that on May 29, Tagizadeh announced at a meeting of the regional parliament that Uzbek migrants were returning to "their historical homeland" in Yugra. He added that Yugra and part of the Tyumen region were once part of the Siberian Khanate.

According to Kommersant, the deputy's decision caused a huge public outcry. At first, he was investigated on suspicion of extremism, and then deprived of his salary. However, neither the prosecutor's office nor the Ministry of Internal Affairs found any signs of a crime in his words.