French prosecutor wants Kazakh tycoon extradited to Ukraine
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 12 December 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, French prosecutor wants Kazakh tycoon extradited to Ukraine, 12 December 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/52e659da11.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
December 12, 2013
Mukhtar Ablyazov in a 2006 photo
A French public prosecutor is recommending the extradition of fugitive Kazakh banker Mukhtar Ablyazov to Ukraine on embezzlement charges.
Advocate-General Solange Legras told a southern French court on December 12 that Ablyazov should be considered a "criminal on a grand scale" and not a dissident of the Kazakh government.
Ablyazov, former chief of Kazakhstan's BTA bank, is accused of having embezzled billions of dollars and fled Kazakhstan.
He is wanted on charges in Russia, Ukraine, Brtiain, and Kazakhstan.
In court on December 12, Ablyazov said the charges against him were "fabricated by Kazakhstan" and that he is being "persecuted for political reasons."
Legras said Russia and Ukraine are obligated by international conventions to not give Ablyazov to Kazakh authorities, adding: "It's easy to be an [oppositionist in order] to hide one's true nature as a fraudster."
Based on reporting by Reuters and AFP
Link to original story on RFE/RL website