By Country / Russia
Russian Court Nixes Former Tajik Minister's Extradition
August 21, 2006
August 21, 2006 -- The Moscow City Court today ruled against the
extradition of former Tajik Trade Minister Habibullo Nasrulloev to his home country.
Nasrulloev was freed in the courtroom after spending nearly three years in
Russian custody. He is wanted in Tajikistan on murder and other criminal
charges that he denies.
Tajik prosecutors say that, among others, he is involved in an armed plot
to overthrow President Imomali Rakhmonov's government.
Nasrulloev's Russian lawyer, Anna Staviskaya, told the Interfax news
agency today that her client would appeal to the European Court of Human Rights over his
illegal detention in a Moscow pretrial-detention center.
She said that under Russian law, no one can be held in custody without
trial for more than 18 months.
Nasrulloev was arrested in August 2003 on a Tajik arrest
warrant.
(Interfax, Ekho Moskvy)