Red Notice Watch

Cases · requested by Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine

Mukhtar Ablyazov: INTERPOL notice and outcome

Kazakh businessman and opposition figure, described by the Open Dialog Foundation as an oppositionist.

OutcomeExtradition refused 9 December 2016
France's national asylum court granted him refugee status in September 2020 and withdrew it on 8 December 2022, according to RFE/RL, KazTAG and Économie Matin. Sources read do not report his extradition from France.

What the requesting state alleged

Russia sought his extradition from France on fraud and laundering related charges based on a detention order of the Tver District Court dated 7 October 2010, according to the Conseil d'État decision.

What happened

  1. French government decree granted his extradition to Russia1Government of France
  2. France's Conseil d'État annulled the extradition decree, finding the extradition was sought for a political purpose1,2Conseil d'État (France)
  3. The Open Dialog Foundation reported that INTERPOL's General Secretariat certified his name had been deleted from INTERPOL databases2INTERPOL General Secretariat
  4. France's national asylum court (CNDA) granted him asylum on appeal against a rejection by OFPRA3Cour nationale du droit d'asile (France)
  5. The CNDA withdrew his refugee status under the exclusion clause of Article 1F of the Refugee Convention, citing serious reasons to believe he committed a serious non political crime linked to alleged fraud at BTA Bank5,4Cour nationale du droit d'asile (France)

What the court said

In their words

Sources

  1. Conseil d'État (translation hosted by Open Dialog Foundation), Conseil d'État, Nos 394399 and 400239, Mr Ablyazov (English translation) (9 December 2016)
  2. Open Dialog Foundation, INTERPOL recognizes political motivations behind Kazakhstani Red Notice requests (26 July 2017)
  3. RFE/RL, Fugitive Kazakh Opposition Figure Ablyazov Granted Asylum In France (5 October 2020)
  4. KazTAG, Mukhtar Ablyazov loses refugee status by decision of French court (12 December 2022)
  5. Économie Matin, Affaire Abliazov : la France lui retire le statut de réfugié (6 March 2023)

A Red Notice is a request to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. It is not an international arrest warrant and is not evidence of guilt. Read the guide.