DUSHANBE, March 29, 2013, Asia-Plus – Ukraine’s national news agency, UNN, says that in a report released at a news conference in Kyiv, Head of Interpol National Central Bureau (NCB) in Ukraine, Vasiliy Nevolya, noted on March 28 that former Tajik Prime Minister Abdumalik Abdullojonov has been detained on legal grounds.
“A ‘Red-corner notice’ has been issued against Abdumalik Abdullojonov,” Vasiliy Nevolya was quoted by UNN.
A `Red-corner notice’ is an arrest warrant circulated by Interpol on behalf of the government of a particular country. It is a request from one country to another to arrest and extradite the wanted individual.
According to information posted on Interpol’s website, Interpol notices are international requests for cooperation or alerts allowing police in member countries to share critical crime-related information. Notices are published by Interpol’s General Secretariat at the request of National Central Bureaus (NCBs) and authorized entities. In the case of Red Notices, the persons concerned are wanted by national jurisdictions for prosecution or to serve a sentence based on an arrest warrant or court decision. Interpol’s role is to assist the national police forces in identifying and locating these persons with a view to their arrest and extradition or similar lawful action.
We will recall that Abdumalik Abdullojonov, 64, was arrested at Borispol Airport near Kiev on February 5 on an international warrant after arriving from the United States.
The Borispol court ruled on February 7 that Abdumalik Abdullojonov can be held in detention for up to 40 days while authorities await documents from Dushanbe regarding his possible extradition.
The Prosecutor-General’s Office of Tajikistan has sent an extradition request for Abdumalik Abdullojonov to the Ukrainian authorities on February 18.
A court in Kiev’s Shevchenko district ruled on March 15 that Abdumalik Abdullojonov can be held in detention for up to 12 months while the issue of his possible extradition to Tajikistan is decided.
On March 21, Kiev’s appeals court reportedly upheld a verdict extending detention for Abdumalik Abdullojonov.
Abdumalik Abdullojonov, who challenged Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in the 1994 presidential election, is accused by the Tajik authorities of involvement in a 1996 assassination attempt on President Rahmon. He is also accused of backing a 1998 militant attack in Sughd Province, and of organized crime and terrorism-related offenses.
Abdumalik Abdullojonov denies these charges.
Abdullojonov was granted political asylum in the United States in June 1999 and for the past decade, Abdullojonov has lived in the United States.
