Ex- Tajik Prime Minister will not be extradited

On Thursday 4 April ex- Tajik Prime Minister Abdumalik Abdullojonov was released from the Kyiv SIZO [remand prison]. His lawyer told journalists that Ukraine does not plan to extradite Mr Abdullojonov.

Abdumalik Abdullojonov was detained when he arrived in Kyiv from the USA on 5 February and there was concern that the Ukrainian authorities might extradite him to Tajikistan despite the fact that he has refugee status in the USA.

On 1 March the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees issued a statement which, while not naming Abdumalik Abdullojonov was clearly referring to him when it says that “Ukraine must not extradite a person recognized as a refugee in the USA”.

“The UNHCR stresses that if one state recognizes a person as a refugee, then other countries must respect this and afford the person protection. Under no circumstances may refoulement take place, i.e. he must not be forcibly returned to his country of origin where it has been determined that he would face a well-founded fear of persecution”. 

The extradition request would seem to be based on accusations from the Tajik authorities that Abdumalik Abdullojonov was involved in a 1996 assassination attempt on the current President, backed a 1998 militant attack in the Sughd Province and other offences.