Kazakhstan Decides to Extradite to Russia Activist Yulia Emelyanova, Who Collaborated with Navalny's St. Petersburg Office. In the Russian Federation, she is accused of theft
The Prosecutor's Office of Kazakhstan satisfied Russia's request for the extradition of activist and former volunteer of Navalny's St. Petersburg office Yulia Emelyanova. This was reported by the Anti-War Committee. The satisfaction of the Russian Federation's request became known on January 29. As the Anti-War Committee notes, the decision was made bypassing procedure and with violations, as the asylum application review process is currently underway. In October 2025, the General Prosecutor's Office of Kazakhstan promised the activist that the extradition issue would not be considered until all administrative procedures related to obtaining asylum were completed. Moreover, the General Prosecutor's Office of Kazakhstan did not notify the human rights defenders and lawyers working on Emelyanova's case. They found out about the ruling only after visiting the pre-trial detention center. "Kazakhstan has become a categorically unsafe country for Russians. This is at least the fourth episode where people are being tried to be extradited in an accelerated manner, bypassing procedural norms and depriving them of the right to defense," noted Margarita Kuchusheva, a lawyer for the Consuls AK project. Yulia Emelyanova volunteered at Navalny's St. Petersburg office. She left Russia in July 2022, after a criminal case was initiated against her for stealing a mobile phone worth 12,000 rubles from a taxi driver. The Anti-War Committee calls the case fabricated. Since the beginning of 2026, Kazakhstan has decided to extradite at least three Russians to Russia: deserter Semen Bazhukov, IT specialist Alexander Kachkurkin, and Chechen activist Mansur Movlaev.
