Kazakh Court Extends Detention Of Russian Entrepreneur Wanted By Moscow

A Kazakh court has extended the detention of Russian entrepreneur Yevgeny Nakaznenko until September 2025, his lawyer, Dias Akhmetov, told RFE/RL on November 1. Nakaznenko, who has lived in Kazakhstan since 2007, was arrested in September while attempting to fly to Istanbul. Moscow accuses him of spreading "false information" about the Russian military and "encouraging terrorism." The charges stem from Nakaznenko’s online condemnation of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Following Russia’s invasion, President Vladimir Putin enacted strict laws against dissent. Nakaznenko was placed on Russia's list of "terrorists and extremists" on August 8, just before authorities opened their case. Many Russians have sought refuge in Kazakhstan to escape military mobilization. The Kazakh government aims to maintain a careful diplomatic balance amid ongoing tensions between Russia and the West. To read the original story by RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service, click here.