A court in Kazakhstan has extended the extradition detention of Chechnya native Mansur Movlaev until January 13, 2027. Human rights activist Maxim Rudnev reported the news, noting that the hearing took place without the participation of Movlaev himself or his lawyers.

Rudnev believes the court's decision raises questions. He points out that Kazakhstani law permits extending such detention only to arrange for the individual's transfer or while an appeal against extradition is being considered.

"In essence, there are currently no legal grounds for extending the detention," he concluded.

At the same time, the activist notes that even this decision is preferable to Movlaev’s immediate handover to Russian authorities.

The UN Human Rights Committee had previously urged Kazakhstan not to extradite Movlaev to Russia until his complaint had been reviewed.

Russia is seeking Movlaev’s extradition in connection with an extremism case. He maintains that he faced persecution in his home region. According to the Chechen opposition movement NIYSO, security forces abducted him in 2022 and held him in a secret prison in Chechnya before he managed to flee the republic. Movlaev sought asylum in Kazakhstan but was denied, and the country's Prosecutor General's Office agreed to his extradition. According to his supporters, pressure on his relatives in Chechnya intensified following his detention this spring: his brother was hospitalized with severe injuries, and human rights activists claim his parents were abducted.