Strasbourg halts any extradition to Kazakhstan of four refugees

On 13 November the European Court of Human Rights applied Rule 39 of the Court’s Regulations on the application of Baiыakov and others v. Ukraine.  The Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan has for three years now been seeking the extradition of the Baisakov brothers and two other Kazakhstan nationals granted refugee status by Ukraine in 2006.

It is likely that the European Court were influenced in their judgment by the behaviour of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General who on 28 July this year demonstrated flagrant disregard for domestic courts as well as both domestic and international law by sending recognized refugee Oleg Kuznetsov to Russia.

The Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union, including KHPG, have consistently demanded the resignation of the Prosecutor General over this shameful case and reiterate that it does no credit to those in power that they have made no adequate response.