Aix-en-Provence court authorizes extradition of main Kazakh opposition figure, Mukhtar Ablyazov, to Russia and Ukraine

An Aix-en-Provence court has authorized the extradition of the main Kazakh opposition figure, Mukhtar Ablyazov (pictured), to Russia and Ukraine. The court stated that between the two requests it would give the Russian one preference.

The lawyers have now five days to present the appeal against the decision of extradition to Ukraine and seven days to present the appeal against the decision of extradition to Russia.

The Open Dialog Foundation has stated that it "is shocked by such decision of the court. It means that the court in Aix-en-Provence did not take into account the clear political background and motivation of the case and the two extradition requests.

"It also did not consider the serious risks of torture and ill-treatment for Mukhtar Ablyazov is sent to one of the two countries, nor the risk of his imminent subsequent extraditon to Kazakhstan, denounced in numerous appeals by international civil society."

The politically motivated extradition requests are a serious problem that European countries have been facing over recent years - the extradition system is based on mututal trust that the countries involved will repsect human rights and international obligations. However, when non-democratic countries are involved, such ensurances can not be treated as reliable.

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