A court in Almaty, Kazakhstan, has decided to temporarily arrest Chechen Mansur Movlaev, who was wanted in Russia, for 40 days. His defense has declined to appeal, calling the court's decision consistent with their client's safety.
"We will now apply for asylum for Mansur Movlaev. The current temporary arrest is the only measure that meets his safety requirements," said lawyer Murat Adam.
He informed the court that his client faces torture and death if extradited to Chechnya.
In 2020, Mansur Movlaev was sentenced to three years on charges of financing extremism. Human rights activists claim that he was persecuted for criticizing the Chechen authorities and speaking out against human rights violations and repression.
In 2022, he was released on parole, but was detained by security forces in Chechnya. The activist was held in one of the "illegal prisons", where he was tortured. In 2023, Movlaev managed to escape and illegally reached Kyrgyzstan. In 2024, he spoke about the kidnapping of his brothers Zelimkhan and Khamzat. They were held in the police department of the Urus-Martan district and tortured. After a court in Kyrgyzstan ruled to deport Movlaev to Russia, he left the republic. Since then, he has been in Kazakhstan.
