DUSHANBE, April 7, 2013, Asia-Plus — The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has welcomed the release of former Prime Minister of Tajikistan Abdumalik Abdullojonov from detention, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
According to it, the UN refugee Agency noted this in a statement released on April 5.
UNHCR reportedly noted that it highly appreciates the commitment of the Ukrainian government to its legal obligations regarding refugee protection and hopes that Ukraine will maintain high standards in protecting rights of refugees and asylum seekers in the future.
Abdumalik Abdullojonov was released from the pretrial detention facility in Kiev on April 4, because Kiev decided not to extradite him to Tajikistan. The decision was reportedly based on the fact that Abdullojonov has political asylum status in the United States.
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 he has lived in the United States for the past decade.
