Italian official resigns over wrongful deportation of Kazakh
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 16 July 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Italian official resigns over wrongful deportation of Kazakh, 16 July 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/520892aeb.html [accessed 28 May 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. |
July 16, 2013
Mukhtar Ablyazov's wife Alma Shalabaeva, and daughter Alua were deported from Italy on June 1.
A senior civil servant in Italy has resigned over the wrongful deportation of the wife and daughter of a leading Kazakh opposition figure.
The Italian government admitted on July 16 that police were wrong to arrest Alma Shalabaeva and send her back to Kazakhstan along with her 6-year-old daughter.
Italy's government said Interior Minister Angelino Alfano had not been informed of the deportation order until it had been carried out.
His chief of staff, Giuseppe Procaccini, took the blame and quit late on July 15.
Procaccini reportedly heeded a request from Kazakhstan's ambassador in Italy to "go after" Mukhtar Ablyazov – Shalabaeva's husband – who is wanted by Kazakh authorities on charges of fraud.
Ablyazov is a former banker and energy minister who was granted political asylum in Britain after he turned against Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev.
Based on reporting by DPA, Politica, and Giornalettismo
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
