U.K. Court Upholds Prison Sentence Of Fugitive Kazakh Oligarch

Former BTA Bank chief Mukhtar Ablyazov

A British court has upheld a 22-month prison sentence imposed in absentia on fugitive Kazakh politician and banker Mukhtar Ablyazov.

In February, Britain's High Court sentenced Ablyazov to prison for contempt of court for breaching an asset-freeze order.

Another court later ruled Ablyazov, who is in hiding, could appeal without turning himself in.

Ablyazov, a leading opponent of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev, left Kazakhstan for London in 2009 after Kazakh authorities seized control of his BTA Bank.

British authorities, at the request of Kazakh officials, began to investigate Ablyazov for the alleged embezzlement of $5 billion via his bank's operations.

His current whereabouts are unknown.

Based on reporting by AP, Bta.kz, and Rapsinews.ru