Kazakhstani Caught With Fake Passport in Bulgaria Fears Extradition

A Kazakhstani man is being sought by authorities, reportedly in connection with the January 2022 events known as Qantar, reports Orda.kz.

According to Haskovoinfo, a court in the city of Haskovo held a hearing on July 9 to determine pre-extradition detention measures for Kazakh national Yerzhan Niyazov.

A month earlier, he had already been placed in custody for 40 days. On Tuesday, the court ruled that Niyazov would remain in detention indefinitely, pending a decision on his extradition.

In March 2022, the Almaty Specialized Interdistrict Investigative Court reportedly issued a warrant for his arrest.

Presumably, Niyazov is being accused of involvement in the January unrest.

He was originally detained in Bulgaria on unrelated grounds — namely, using false documents. Authorities apprehended him at Varna Airport in possession of a fake Polish passport.

Niyazov denies all charges, stating the case against him was fabricated. He claims he would face danger if returned to Kazakhstan.

The outlet Plovdiv 24 Chasa cites Niyazov’s lawyer, who asserts that his client was in Kyiv receiving cancer treatment at the time the charges were brought. The attorney says he has documentation to support this and intends to present it during the appeals process, which the Bulgarian court has allowed Niyazov to pursue.

Original Author: Igor Ulitin