Kazakh oligarch denied bail in France
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 22 August 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Kazakh oligarch denied bail in France, 22 August 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/521f46c112.html [accessed 19 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. |
August 22, 2013
Mukhtar Ablyazov
Fugitive Kazakh oligarch Mukhtar Ablyazov, wanted in Kazakhstan for allegedly embezzling up to $6 billion from his former bank BTA, has been denied release on bail in France.
Ablyazov's lawyer told reporters that a French appeals court decided that, for his own safety, Ablyazov should not be released.
Ablyazov, 50, is an outspoken critic of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev.
He fled Kazakhstan in 2009.
Ablyazov says the case against him is politically motivated.
French authorities arrested him on July 31 on the French Riviera acting upon a request from Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine have also brought fraud charges against Ablyazov and officially requested his extradition from France.
Kazakhstan has no extradition agreement with France, but it has bilateral agreements with Russia and Ukraine.
Based on reporting by Reuters and ITAR-TASS
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
