The EU’s sanctions policy against Russia as the aggressor in the war, followed by the search for alternative energy suppliers, has transformed the wider Central Asian region into a new hub of global trade. This is particularly true of resource-rich Kazakhstan, the Central Asian giant located at the heart of the region and bordering directly on Russia and China. Although the EU undoubtedly now plays a significant economic role in the region, its values-based policy remains rudimentary, and there is an all-too-common tendency to rely on mere declarations of intent. However, the impending extradition of two Russian peace activists, which would have life-threatening consequences for both, can no longer be dismissed with empty promises. An ISHR report.

Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Kazakhstan had been considered one of the few neighbouring countries where critics of the Russian regime, opponents of the war and human rights activists could find protection from political persecution. Thousands of Russians fled to Kazakhstan out of fear of mobilisation, political repression or criminal prosecution.

Today, however, two Russian citizens, Julia Emelianova and Mansur Movlaev, are being held in pre-extradition detention in Almaty and could soon be returned to the very state structures from which they fled.

Their impending extradition to Russia is a cruel reality for two people who peacefully advocated for respect for human rights in their country and who were detained in Kazakhstan while fleeing and seeking protection. For many months, they have had to fear for their lives in a Kazakh prison.

Appeals to Kazakhstan Remain Unanswered

Together with the consuls of the Russian Anti-War Committee in exile and the human rights project The Ark, the ISHR is fighting for the lives of 35-year-old Julia Emelianova and 30-year-old Mansur Movlaev in this race against time.

Numerous diplomatic appeals, including appeals made directly to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev by representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, have so far gone unanswered.

Their Fate Now Lies in the Hands of the Kazakh President

The decision concerning the lives of Julia and Mansur now lies precisely in his hands. Under international law, the matter is clear: the principle of non-refoulement under the Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, which Kazakhstan has ratified, prohibits the extradition or return of individuals where there are grounds to believe that they would face torture, inhuman treatment or serious human rights violations in the destination country.

Julia Emelianova

Julia Emelianova worked for years as an opposition volunteer in Russia, including for Alexei Navalny’s St. Petersburg team. In 2021, during a wave of repression against opposition activists, the Russian authorities initiated a fabricated criminal case against her. They accused her of allegedly stealing a mobile phone worth €130. According to her defence, the case is based on fabricated allegations and involves serious procedural violations. Julia reported degrading treatment while in police custody, including sleep deprivation, threats of sexual violence and intense pressure to sign a false confession.

Julia Emelianova © private

After the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Julia left Russia because she once again faced the threat of persecution. She lived in Georgia for three years and supported Ukrainian refugees through the humanitarian projects “Emigration for Action” and “Just Help.”

In August 2025, she was arrested in Kazakhstan while transiting from Georgia to Vietnam, where she has relatives. She has remained in pre-trial detention ever since.

She immediately applied for international protection in Kazakhstan. However, the Kazakh authorities rejected her asylum application, and the Prosecutor General’s Office has already approved her extradition to Russia, even though the court proceedings have not yet been finally concluded. According to her lawyers, the extradition could be carried out at any time.

In a multi-page appeal to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Emelianova describes her situation in urgent terms:

“I genuinely fear for my life and health should my extradition to the Russian Federation actually be carried out. You are my last hope!

I urgently ask you to intervene personally to ensure a just resolution of my case, the outcome of which will, quite literally, determine whether I live.”

Mansur Movlaev

Mansur Movlaev is a Chechen human rights activist who documented abductions, torture, politically motivated criminal proceedings and other human rights violations in Chechnya. Because of his activities, he repeatedly came under the scrutiny of the Chechen security services and Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov.

Mansur Movlaev © private

In 2020, Mansur was sentenced to imprisonment. Following his early release on probation in 2022, he was reportedly abducted again by Chechen security forces, held in a secret detention facility, tortured with electric shocks and subjected to abuse.

His family is also exposed to constant persecution. His brothers, Selimkhan and Khamzat, were abducted in Chechnya in October 2024 in order to put pressure on him and force him to return. His parents were forcibly abducted for several days in June 2026. One of his brothers was also abducted again and sexually abused, resulting in serious health consequences and requiring emergency surgery in hospital.

Mansur managed to flee to the Kyrgyz Republic. There, he was arrested for illegally crossing the border and, in November 2023, sentenced to six months’ imprisonment followed by deportation.

After his release, Mansur left Kyrgyzstan and entered Kazakhstan. In May 2025, Movlaev was arrested in Almaty on the basis of a Russian arrest warrant. Russia accuses him of extortion. His defence rejects the allegations as politically motivated.

Following his arrest, Movlaev initially received asylum-seeker status in Kazakhstan, which temporarily protected him from extradition. In December 2025, the Kazakh authorities rejected his asylum application. An appeal was lodged against this decision.

In January 2026, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prosecutor General issued an extradition order. In February 2026, the United Nations Human Rights Committee requested, through interim measures, that the Republic of Kazakhstan refrain from extraditing him until a decision had been reached on his individual complaint. On 24 February 2026, the Supreme Court suspended the extradition pending the final outcome of the refugee status determination proceedings.

“Today, I have practically no one left who could protect me from extradition. My last hope now rests with the Republic of Kazakhstan and with you as Head of State.”

“I ask you to prevent me from being returned to the hands of those from whom I once managed to escape at the cost of unimaginable suffering. If I am extradited, I am firmly convinced that I will not return alive,” Mansur writes in his appeal to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.”

Two Fates – the Same Existential Threat

The proceedings against Julia Emelianova and Mansur Movlaev go beyond the fate of two individuals. They concern fundamental questions of international refugee protection and the principle of non-refoulement under international law, which prohibits extradition to states where there are grounds to believe that people seeking protection would face torture, inhuman treatment or political persecution. They also raise the question of whether Kazakhstan is a trustworthy economic partner for Europe. Moreover, they will establish new precedents in Kazakh case law.

If extradited to Russia, Julia Emelianova faces a lengthy, politically motivated prison sentence and human rights violations in detention. If Mansur Movlaev is returned to Chechnya, the Russian republic in the North Caucasus, his life and physical safety would be in immediate danger. This is precisely why the decisions of the Kazakh authorities are of particular importance. The EU, however, must not turn a blind eye either.

Demands of the Human Rights Organisations

The International Society for Human Rights, the consuls of the Russian Anti-War Committee in exile and the human rights project The Ark therefore call on the Republic of Kazakhstan to:

• suspend all extradition proceedings against Julia Emelianova and Mansur Movlaev until all legal remedies have been exhausted;
• fully respect the principle of non-refoulement under international law;
• ensure political neutrality and comprehensive judicial review of applications for international protection;
• guarantee access to legal counsel and a fair trial.