Kazakh Human Rights Activist Claims Surveillance in Montenegro, Investigation Underway

A human rights activist from Kazakhstan reportedly did not leave her apartment for three days after being followed by an unknown individual and seeing a drone appear outside her window, Orda.kz reports.

Montenegrin police have opened an investigation into the possible surveillance of the human rights defender Dina Tansari and her husband Almat Mukhamedzhanov.

According to NeMolchi’s Instagram page, Tansari was giving a lecture at a refugee event in a remote area on June 23 when her husband noticed a suspicious man nearby.

He was described as “in a cap and glasses, who looked like a Kazakh.” According to Almat, the man acted evasively, avoided being photographed, and appeared to follow them even after they returned to their residence.

Almat checked everything in the apartment, but he saw this guy from the balcony. He was staring at his phone. That is, this guy followed them to their house and to their entrance. And then a drone flew up to the windows and balcony. Then they closed the windows and curtains,
the fund said in a statement.

The foundation stated that it had already submitted evidence to police, including photographs and witness accounts.

The investigation in Montenegro is ongoing. NeMolchi noted that human rights defenders have faced repeated pressure over the past two years, including surveillance, hacking attempts, hotline disruptions, and direct threats.

The group emphasized that the drone incident was the first known case of open physical surveillance abroad.

Tansari and Mukhamedzhanov have been in Montenegro for over 20 months, awaiting political refugee status.

In April 2025, Tansari was detained in Podgorica at the request of Kazakhstan’s Prosecutor General’s Office, but a court refused to extradite her. In Kazakhstan, six criminal cases have been opened against her, which she links to her foundation’s work supporting survivors of violence and pursuing accountability for officials.

Earlier, it was reported that UN special rapporteurs expressed concern over Tansari’s case in Kazakhstan. Their statement cited persistent gender discrimination and pressure on human rights defenders, adding that procedural violations accompanied the cases against her.

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov