The defense challenged the decision to extradite Movlaev.

Lawyers have appealed the decision of the Kazakh prosecutor's office to extradite Chechen native Mansur Movlaev to Russia.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on January 30, it was reported that the Kazakh Prosecutor General's Office ordered the extradition of Chechen native Mansur Movlaev to Russian security forces. The court has not yet considered the appeal against the denial of refugee status for Movlaev, the lawyers noted.

14:57 18.01.2026

Appeal to the UN Increases Movlaev's Chances of Avoiding Extradition to Chechen Security Forces

The intervention of UN structures in Mansur Movlaev's appeal does not guarantee his protection from extradition from Kazakhstan to Russia, but it could still reduce the risk of his extradition to Chechen security forces.

The lawyers are trying to overturn the extradition decision, Rena Kerimova, Mansur Movlaev's lawyer, told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent today.

"We filed an appeal to the presidential administration and appealed the decision of the Deputy Prosecutor General of Kazakhstan, who signed the extradition application. In addition, [another lawyer] and I Movlaeva and Elena Zhigalenok filed applications to hold two solo pickets against extradition on February 12. "We're also visiting the pretrial detention center more often. I'm just returning from there now. You could say we've thrown all our efforts into saving his life," she said.

They'll come in the morning and pick him up, and then notify him after the fact.

According to Kerimova, the date of Movlaev's extradition to Russia is unknown. "Most likely, if it comes to extradition, they'll just come in the morning and pick him up, and then notify him after the fact," she said.

As a reminder, in May 2025, Mansur Movlaev, who was wanted by the Shali District Department of Chechnya, was detained in Kazakhstan and placed under extradition arrest. On May 21, he received asylum seeker status, granting him temporary protection from being sent to Russia. His lawyers assured that secret extradition of Movlaev is ruled out.

If extradited, Mansur Movlaev will be delivered to Chechnya, and this is of interest to the Chechen authorities, human rights activists noted. Extradition to Russia would expose Movlaev to torture and extrajudicial execution, Chechen activists previously stated.

Movlaev was born in 1995 in Shali. He told his lawyers that while studying at university, he helped the Chechen opposition movement "Adat" (an organization recognized as extremist and banned in Russia) with information about people abducted by Kadyrov's men. "He was persecuted for this active position," Rena Kerimova told Kursiv Media.

In 2022, Movlaev was detained by security forces in Chechnya and held in an illegal prison. After escaping, he managed to reach Kyrgyzstan in January 2023. In August 2023, security forces in Kyrgyzstan detained Movlaev, who was wanted in Russia for financing extremist activity. A court in Bishkek sentenced Movlaev to six months in prison and subsequent deportation from the country. On November 20, 2023, Movlaev was released, but the decision to deport him remained in effect, and he voluntarily left Kyrgyzstan to avoid being sent home.

In October 2024, Mansur Movlaev reported the kidnapping of his relatives by security forces in Chechnya. "Two of my brothers, Zelimkhan and Khamzat, have been kidnapped. They are being held and tortured, in an attempt to put pressure on me," he said in a published video.

Caucasian Knot publishes materials about human rights violations in Chechnya, Kadyrov's attacks on the opposition, and his fight against dissent in the republic on the topic page "Dissent in Chechnya".