Lawyers of Chechen Activist Mansur Movlaev Hold Press Conference in Almaty

A press conference was held in Almaty by the lawyers of Chechen activist Mansur Movlaev. He had lived in Kazakhstan for a year and a half under a different name. The lawyers explained his situation, Orda.kz reports.

Not A Criminal

After news broke of Mansur Movlaev’s detention in Kazakhstan, and his lawyers — Murat Adam, Rena Kerimova, and Elena Zhigalenok of the Almaty Bar Association — announced they would defend him pro bono.

Subsequent questions began surfacing on social media: why help someone wanted on criminal charges and previously convicted on drug charges? Information appeared online claiming Movlaev was wanted in Russia for extremism, and illegal possession of drugs and weapons.

This prompted the lawyers to hold a press conference to clarify who their client is, explain why they took on his defense, and stress the importance of preventing his extradition to Russia.

I would like to immediately dispel false information because according to the materials of the judicial sanctions review, a copy of which we have, the search is based solely on a fabricated criminal case under Article 163 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which provides for liability for extortion,
Murat Adam began the press conference. 

He had been in contact with Movlaev on social media for over a year prior to the arrest. The lawyer has experience defending political refugees, having represented individuals seeking asylum in Kazakhstan and assisted Russian anti-war activists and journalists avoid extradition.

During their correspondence, Adam learned Movlaev was involved in the Adat movement during his student years— a community gathering information on repression and disappearances in Chechnya. He relayed this information to the Yangulbaev brothers, prominent Chechen opposition figures.

He assisted Abubakar and Baysangur Yangulbaev, providing them with information about which people and under what circumstances were abducted, what corruption schemes had recently been committed on the territory of Chechnya. Of course, the Chechen Republic, for its part, discovered this fact, and he began to be persecuted for supporting these people, who essentially represent the opposition to Ramzan Kadyrov. Mansur said that this was his civic duty, because he did not agree with what was happening in Chechnya,
the lawyer said. 

Movlaev was expelled from university and fired from his job at an oil refinery.

He was then charged in a drug case and imprisoned:

In 2020, he was studying at a university in Grozny, and a fabricated drug case was brought against him. That is, he was given two articles to choose from and told: choose either drugs or weapons, you'll go to jail anyway. And he 'chose' drugs. Although the young man is a professional athlete. He has great achievements, and not only in the Chechen Republic, but also in competitions of the Russian Federation,
 explained Rena Kerimova.

In April 2022, Movlaev was released on parole and went to Moscow, but had to return regularly to Chechnya to check in with the police. During his second check-in, he was arrested again and placed in an unofficial prison.

Before the next arrest, he passed only two checkpoints. At the end of July, he arrived for the second checkpoint, and on August 1, armed men broke into his house — 10–15 people. Among them, in addition to the Chechens, were FSB officers. These people took him and placed him in an illegal prison. He was there until August 10. On August 10, Mansur escaped from there,
the lawyer added. 

Movlaev told his lawyer he was tortured in the prison:

They said: being in the colony for drugs, you did not abandon your active work. We know what you talked about with the prisoners, what you did. In short, you will no longer be free. You did not learn your lesson. It is a great feat that he was able to escape. 

Fleeing persecution, without documents and constantly in hiding, he first ended up in Kazakhstan, then in Kyrgyzstan.

Criminal Case in Kyrgyzstan

In Kyrgyzstan, Movlaev was detained for illegally crossing the border and sentenced to six months in prison with deportation. His lawyers could not convince the court of his political persecution. Kyrgyzstan denied him asylum.

Almaty human rights defenders claim Movlaev was nearly handed over to Chechen special services.

During deportation, he was in a car with his lawyers:

His transfer beyond the borders of Kyrgyzstan, as per the court's ruling, was supposed to be ensured by the body of the Committee for State and National Security, I think that's what it's called in Kyrgyzstan. But instead, he was handed over to civilians — lawyers. How did this happen? Honestly, this is the first time we've encountered this. We've never had the opportunity to take our client somewhere ourselves in an unknown direction. It's clear that Mansur sensed something was wrong. On the way, he saw a tinted car and was forced to jump out of the car while it was moving. That's how he ended up here, in Kazakhstan,
said Murat Adam. 

Rena Kerimova believes Chechen agents were tracking him in Bishkek.

According to Mansur, nine law enforcement officers in Kyrgyzstan were fired for corruption. For six months, they regularly met with Kadyrov's men who had come to track him down — they had lunch, dinner, and contacted each other. They were fired, and what happened next — I don't know,
the lawyer said. 

Kazakhstan

Movlaev lived quietly in Almaty for a year and a half under a false name, renting a room, working as a trainer, and selling sports nutrition. On May 13, 2025, Kazakhstan’s law enforcement received a search order from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The same day, Almaty police detained him at Esentai Mall.

Where is the guarantee that they are not in Almaty now? I have serious doubts that it was our operatives who tracked Mansur down. Because in the search file there is a document called 'search assignment.' It is dated May 13, 2025. And it was sent to our police department by the head of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs department for the Shali district of the Chechen Republic, Mr. Elmurzaev. That is, on the day Mansur was detained, our police department received such a search assignment. I don't know if this is a coincidence or not, but I still think that, apparently, someone else tracked him down and found out where he was training. 

Movlaev is said to have previously avoided KNB officers. At one event, a man claiming to be one approached him, but Movlaev turned and ran.

After his arrest, his lawyers themselves petitioned the investigative court to support the prosecutor’s motion to place him in custody.

This is probably nonsense, but we were forced to take the initiative in the investigative court so that the court would support the prosecutor's motion. And this measure of restraint was chosen for him — temporary detention. We proceeded, of course, from considerations of his safety. Because we understand that if he is released, he will most likely be kidnapped, as, according to him, happened in Kyrgyzstan,
 said Murat Adam.

In detention, Movlaev reported respectful treatment:

He is so delighted with our KUIS (penal enforcement - Ed.) system. Yesterday, he had tears in his eyes. He said: you should carry these people up high. I was preparing for the worst — for torture, for being beaten in every cell. But not a single person even raised a hand against me. On the contrary — everyone treated me with respect, supported me,
 shared Rena Kerimova.

Still, she voiced concern:

I am a lawyer, and I am a realist. I know what can happen in a pre-trial detention center. This is an appeal to our law enforcement agencies: the person must remain alive and unharmed. He must not 'accidentally hit his head' or 'suddenly hang himself.' He is devout, he wants to live. You read his letter — he asks for help, he is afraid that he will be killed. Therefore, he must be watched — even in a pretrial detention center. 

No criminal case has been initiated in Kazakhstan. Movlaev has applied for asylum, and his lawyers are seeking refugee status for political reasons.

Lawyer Elena Zhigalenok explained Kazakhstan’s legal framework:

It has Article 66, which is called just that — the duty to extradite. That is, the state is obliged to extradite a citizen of another state if he has committed a crime on its territory,
 she said.

But she noted Article 89 of the same Convention allows for refusal if persecution is based on race, sex, religion, nationality, or political opinion.

If a person is granted asylum, the country has the right to refuse extradition. This is also enshrined in our Criminal Procedure Code — in Article 590,
 Zhigalenok explained.

The case is now under review by the Department of Employment and Social Programs of Almaty. An official will visit the pre-trial detention center for interviews. The decision will be made by a commission that includes representatives of the Akimat, the prosecutor’s office, the migration police, and the public.

The process may take up to a year. If asylum is denied, there are appeal options up to the Supreme Court. Only after all legal avenues are exhausted will the Prosecutor General’s Office review extradition.

Movlaev’s lawyers are involving human rights organizations and escalating the case internationally.

The International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law contacted us. The organization has actively joined in supporting Mansur. Today, we sent petitions to the pre-trial detention center and the prosecutor's office — we ask that they issue a power of attorney to their representative. He will raise this issue in the UN Human Rights Committee and the Committee against Torture,
 reported Murat Adam.

His lawyers highlighted that there have been cases of political asylum granted in Kazakhstan's history, but the procedure is complicated and, as a rule, depends on the political context.

Without public participation, without a fair reaction from our people, Mansur has almost no chance. Even those Russian activists whom we have helped before have not faced such a level of persecution. He has serious enemies, they are motivated, well-financed and literally hunt him down all over the world. Now it is important to unite and do everything so that he simply survives,
said Rena Kerimova. 

Original Author: Aliya Askarova