Canadian activists have spoken out in defense of a Chechen political émigré

Canadian civil society organizations have joined the case of Chechen opposition activist Mansur Movlayev, who is seeking political asylum in Kazakhstan. According to human rights activists, Movlayev faced persecution in Russia and a threat to his life, forcing him to flee his homeland. His lawyer, Murat Adam, announced this on Facebook, publishing a statement from the Canadian Committee of the Anti-Imperialist Bloc of Nations sent to the Kazakh Embassy.

"In Toronto, Canada, the Committee of the Anti-Imperialist Bloc of Nations of Canada has submitted a statement to the Canadian Embassy in Canada on behalf of our client, Chechen opposition activist Mansur Movlayev, requesting that our authorities grant him asylum in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Mansur Movlayev has been subjected to political persecution in the Russian Federation and a real threat to his life and personal safety, as a result of which he was forced to leave his country. "The potential extradition of Mansur Movlaev to Chechnya poses a serious and immediate threat to his life and well-being," writes Murat Adam.

Movlaev's refugee status is currently being considered in court. The activist's lawyers also note that some of the case materials have been submitted for review to UN human rights bodies.

Murat Adam, a lawyer with the Almaty City Bar Association, was recently disbarred. He considers this decision politically motivated and intends to appeal it. The reason for this was a complaint from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which accused the lawyer of discrediting the work of pre-trial investigation bodies through social media posts during his defense of former Orda.kz editor-in-chief Gulnar Bazhkenova.

This incident occurred against the backdrop of Kazakhstani authorities' refusal to grant asylum to Chechen activist Mansur Movlaev, a decision that will also be challenged in court. Murat Adam claimed that Movlaev was persecuted in Russia for supporting the opposition movement 1ADAT, and that the charges against him were fabricated.

Mansur Movlaev previously served time in a Russian prison colony on drug trafficking charges, which he claimed were fabricated due to his political activities. According to the 1ADAT channel, after his release in 2022, he was kidnapped and tortured, and in 2023, he managed to illegally enter Kyrgyzstan without documents. In October of that year, a Bishkek court sentenced Movlaev to six months in prison followed by deportation for illegally crossing the Kyrgyz border. On November 20, he was released from prison and left Kyrgyzstan. Furthermore, in October 2024, Mansur Movlaev reported the abduction of his relatives by Chechen security forces.

In May 2025, Movlaev was detained in Kazakhstan at the request of Russia.

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