Details Emerge on Russian Citizen Detained at Almaty Airport

A Russian citizen connected to Alexei Navalny’s headquarters was detained at Almaty airport on August 31, Orda.kz reports.

Our followers informed the editorial office that the woman’s detention was politically motivated. However, it was stated that she was wanted in Russia on suspicion of a property crime.

The detainee was identified as Yulia Yemelyanova. According to lawyer Murat Adam, both claims are true: Yemelyanova previously worked with Navalny’s headquarters, and she is also listed in Russia’s database of wanted persons.

In Russia, she is wanted under Article 158 of the Criminal Code, ‘Theft.’ She is accused of allegedly stealing a taxi driver’s phone worth 12,000 rubles. But in reality, she is being persecuted for her involvement with Navalny’s headquarters — this is political persecution,the lawyer said.

Adam clarified that Yemelyanova had not lived in Kazakhstan.

She was on a transfer flight from Tbilisi, where she had been residing, to Vietnam.

She didn’t expect to have to re-check in at Almaty. Initially, she was told her luggage would go through, but she was later required to pick it up and check it in again, which meant she had to go through border control,Adam explained.

Yemelyanova is currently being held in the Almaty pre-trial detention center. By court order, she has been placed under extradition arrest for 40 days.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin