Kazakhstan will not extradite Sadikov, a suspect in the attempt on the Kazakh opposition leader, to Ukraine

Kazakhstan will not extradite to Ukraine the suspect in the attempt on the Kazakh oppositionist, the head of the information channel "BASE" Aidos Sadikov in Kyiv.

This was stated by the Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev on June 28, the Kazakh service of Radio Liberty reports.

According to him, the General Prosecutorʼs Office of Kazakhstan joined the investigation and is in contact with Ukrainian colleagues. However, the suspect will not be extradited to Ukraine.

"This is a general principle, not just for this situation: Kazakhstan does not extradite its citizens to other states," Ashimbayev said.

Attempt on Sadikov

On June 18, 2024, two people attempted to assassinate Kazakh journalist Aidos Sadikov in Kyiv. At the time of the attack, he was in the car with his wife Natalia. Sadikov was hospitalized, his wife was not injured.

According to law enforcement officers, both suspects are citizens of Kazakhstan. They left the territory of Ukraine on the day of the attack. However, Ukrainian law enforcement officers informed Altai Zhakanbaev and Meyram Karataev of suspicion of attempted murder. Zhakanbaev later turned himself in to the prosecutorʼs office of Kazakhstan.

Who is Aidos Sadikov?

Until 2010, Aydos Sadikov was the head of the Aktobe department of the opposition party "Azat". For more than 20 years, he has criticized the current president of Kazakhstan Tokayev and his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbayev. During this time, criminal cases were initiated against him, his car and property were burned, and he was persecuted.

In 2010, Sadikov was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of "hooliganism", and was released in 2012. Sadikov and his supporters called the criminal case fabricated. Sadikov was engaged in active social activities, organized protest actions.

In 2014, Sadikov and his wife moved to Kyiv and received political asylum after a criminal case was opened against Natalia in Kazakhstan.