In Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan and wanted by Russia

• Since January 2026 Kazakhstan has extradited and deported political émigrés, sometimes within hours, via minor offences like jaywalking. Since August 2026 Russia's Interior Ministry has had an office in Bishkek that exchanges data.
• Deal with the police and the KNB only through a lawyer. In Kazakhstan you can invoke Article 19 of the Constitution and not testify against yourself. Do not sign minor-offence reports without a lawyer.
• If detained on an extradition request, apply for asylum at once with a lawyer: mistakes in the first application are hard to fix. At the same time, complain to the UN Human Rights Committee and ask for interim measures. This is how Movlaev's extradition was halted.
• Have a lawyer check your temporary or permanent residence permit: the KNB is checking forged permits. Without one you may stay 90 days in 180. Expulsion goes to the nearest country (from Astana, to Russia).
• Do not transit through Almaty, Astana or Bishkek: Yulia Yemelyanova was detained while changing planes in Almaty. Rights groups advise planning a move to a country with independent courts.
• Where to turn: Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights, The Ark (Kovcheg), inTransit. The Anti-War Committee's 'Consuls' help if you face deportation. The Anti-War Committee is designated 'terrorist' in Russia. If you have ties to Russia, contacting it can become grounds for a case under 'terrorism' articles. Write to the 'Consuls' only if deportation is a real threat, and after talking to a lawyer.

Designations of organisations in this guide: Anti-War Committee 'Consuls' (terrorist). Contacting them carries a risk: do not write from a phone that may be seized, and do not repost their materials.

current as of 25 September 2026. More: Meduza: interview with KIBHR lawyer Artur Alkhastov (undesirable); Mediazona: Kazakhstan is no longer safe (foreign agent); The Insider: Russia's Interior Ministry expands its office in Kyrgyzstan (undesirable)