DUSHANBE, March 16, 2013, Asia-Plus -- A court in Kiev has extended detention for former Tajik Prime Minister Abdumalik Abdullojonov.

Interfax-Ukraine reports that a court in Kiev’s Shevchenko district ruled on March 15 that Abdumalik Abdullojonov can be held in detention for up to 12 months while the issue of his possible extradition to Tajikistan is decided.

Andriy Fedur, the lawyer of Abdumalik Abdullojonov in Ukraine, told journalists on Friday that he will appeal the court’s ruling.

“We will appeal the ruling within the next few days,” said Fedur.  “This ruling is unprecedented in its illegitimacy.  Ukrainian officials are drawing us into a legal conflict.”

According to him, the court has justified its ruling by saying that “Abdullojonov does not have status of refugee in Ukraine and his status of refugee in the United States is not the reason for not using the extradition arrest against him.”

“This is a gross violation of Ukraine’s legislation and international law,” Abdullojonov’s lawyer said.

We will recall that the Prosecutor-General’s Office of Tajikistan has sent an extradition request for Abdumalik Abdullojonov to the Ukrainian authorities on February 18.  

Abdumalik Abdullojonov, 64, was arrested at Borispol Airport near Kiev on February 5 on an international warrant after arriving from the United States.

The Borispol court ruled on February 7 that former Tajik Prime Minister Abdumalik Abdullojonov can be held in detention for up to 40 days while authorities await documents from Dushanbe regarding his possible extradition.

Abdumalik Abdullojonov, who challenged Tajik President Emomali Rahmon in the 1994 presidential election, is accused by the Tajik authorities of involvement in a 1996 assassination attempt on President Rahmon.  He is also accused of backing a 1998 militant attack in Sughd Province, and of organized crime and terrorism-related offenses.

Abdumalik Abdullojonov denies these charges.

Abdullojonov was granted political asylum in the United States in June 1999 and for the past decade, Abdullojonov has lived in the United States.

Amnesty International (AI) has written to the Ukrainian authorities urging them not to return former Prime Minister Abdumalik Abdullojonov to Tajikistan where “he would be at risk of torture and other grave human rights violations.”  Amnesty International has also urged the Ukrainian authorities to immediately release Abdumalik Abdullojonov.  A statement released by AI on March 4, in particular, notes that Amnesty International is concerned that, if extradited to Tajikistan, Abdumalik Abdullojonov will face unfair trial and be at risk of torture and other ill-treatment.  The organization has called on the Ukrainian authorities to refuse any request from the Tajikistani authorities to extradite Abdumalik Abdullojonov, and to grant Abdumalik Abdullojonov access to a fair and impartial asylum procedure.

Oldrich Andrysek, the regional representative in Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, voiced his support of Abdullojonov in February.