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The risk of extradition of Zhanara Akhmetova
Zhanara Akhmetova (she uses journalistic aliases ‘Zhanara Akhmet’ and ‘Zhanna Bota’) is a Kazakhstani journalist and opposition activist.
Kazakhstan put Akhmetova on the wanted list in connection with the ‘fraud’ case in the period between 2005-2008. She was accused of default in connection with the purchase of real estate and the return of debt. In this case, in 2009, a Kazakhstani court sentenced Akhmetova to seven years‘ imprisonment. The execution of the court sentence was delayed until her child reaches the age of 14.
Since 2013, Akhmetova began to actively engage in journalism and opposition activities. In particular, her articles were published in the opposition newspaper ‘Tribuna’. The newspaper was closed after a Kazakhstani court handed down a suspended sentence with regard to its editor-in-chief, Zhanbolat Mamay, and banned him from engaging in journalistic activities.
Due to Akhmetova‘s journalistic activities, the authorities set her up. In March 2017, Akhmetova, along with her young son, arrived in Ukraine in order to apply for political asylum.
Zhanara Akhmetova is a Kazakhstani journalist, one of the leaders of the opposition movement "Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan" (DCK). For several years, Akhmetova and her minor son have been unsuccessfully seeking refugee status and, through this, political asylum in Ukraine.
In case of the extradition of Akhmetova, Ukraine would violate several ratified international conventions. For the new government, this case would become one of the first serious exams in the observation of the rights of refugees and extradition procedures. Will the new authorities of Ukraine pass the test in the…
Civil society activists from Kazakhstan and Russia who are seeking political asylum in Ukraine, have faced secret surveillance and threats from unidentified persons. The activists claim that Kazakhstan’s special services are involved in this matter.
