Batyrov, Kadyrzhan

Gender: .
State of concern: .

Who, Why and How exiled:

A  businessman and an ethnic Uzbek community leader. Kadyrzhan Batyrov was a businessman alleged to own a number of businesses in Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan, whereas all his activities in Kyrgyzstan were solely philanthropic. He opened the private university in his hometown in Jalal-Abad and sponsors other social initiatives while presiding of the Jalal-Abad Uzbek National Cultural Center. Batyrov was a Member of Parliament from 2005 to 2007 and was known as one of former President Bakiev’s critics (Osmonov, 2011). Batyrov was tried in absentia by the Jalal-Abad city court in October and sentenced to life in prison for separatist propaganda, inciting interethnic hatred, and organizing clashes between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyz in the southern Jalal-Abad and Osh regions in June 2010 (Gezziter, 2016). In the middle of September 2011, he applied for  political asylum in Ukraine. At the same time, in 2011 Kyrgyzstan had requested his extradition. In October 2011, Ukrainian prosecutors granted the request to extradite him to Kyrgyzstan, however the prosecutors eventually withdrew permission to extradite Batyrov after the UNHCR helped him to receive an offer of asylum in Sweden. Since 2011 he is residing in Sweden (Kyivpost, 2011).

Category of exile: . (Definitions here.)
Alleged affiliation: Former insider, Opposition group.

Which stages experienced: Stage 1   Stage 2   not Stage 3. (Definitions here.)
Date of most serious incident: 2011.
Violence experienced: .

Stage 1 details (accusations/ charges/ Interpol notice/ extradition requests):

He is been accused of instigating ethnic conflict in June 2010. In 2011 Kyrgyzstan had requested his extradition from Ukraine (Radio Free Europe, 2011; Radio Free Europe, 2010; Reuters, 2016).

Stage 2 details (arrest/ detention/ extradition):

In October 2011, Ukrainian prosecutors granted the request to extradite him to Kyrgyzstan however the prosecutors eventually withdrew permission to extradite Batyrov after UNHCR helped him to receive an offer of asylum in Sweden. “Sweden granted me refugee status in 84 hours,” he said in an interview with Kyivpost in 2011 (Kyivpost, 2011).

Other actions during Stages 1–3 (dispossession/ overseas assets frozen/ intimidation/ action against associates/ …):

He was living in exile since 2010. He flew Kyrgyzstan in 2010  to Uzbekistan where he lived in Andijan, Namangan, Fergana, Tachkent. He left then to Dubai, from there he traveled to the Crimea, Ukraine. Since 2011 he is living in Sweden (Gezziter, 2016; Radio Free Europe, 2011).

International arrest warrant: .

Countries of transit, asylum and/or residence: .

Legal status (refugee/ asylum seeker/ resident):

He received political asylum in Sweden in 2011 after the intervention of UNHCR (Kyivpost, 2011).

Current status:

He is currently exiled in Sweden (Kyivpost, 2011).


Press sources:

Reuters,  2016. Kyrgyzstan to downgrade OSCE ties after government critic attends conference.30.09.2016. [Online]. Available at: http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-kyrgyzstan-osce-idUKKCN1200VT (Accessed 11.05.2017).

Gezziter. Org., 2016. Принято решение о возвращении в Кыргызстан узбекских сепаратистов.01.04.2016[Online]. Available at: http://www.gezitter.org/politic/19272_prinyato_reshenie_o_vozvraschenii_v_kyirgyizstan_uzbekskih_separatistov/ ( Accessed: 11.05.2017).

Radio Free Europe, 2011.High-Profile Trial Of Uzbek Leader In Kyrgyzstan Ends. 27.10.2011. [Online]. Available at: http://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan_uzbekistan_trial/24373594.html ( Accessed: 11.05.2017).

Radio Free Europe, 2010. Кадыржан Батыров опровергает обвинения в организации кровопролития на юге Кыргызстана.08.10.2010. [Online]. Available at: http://rus.azattyq.org/a/Kadyrzhan_Batyrov/2183636.html (Accessed: 11.05.2017).

Kyivpost, 2011. Nation can be dangerous for those who flee persecution.10.11.2011[Online]. Available at: https://www.kyivpost.com/article/content/ukraine-politics/nation-can-be-dangerous-for-those-who-flee-persecu-116721.html ( Accessed: 11.05.2017).

Osmonov. J., 2011. KYRGYZ NATIONAL COMMISSION CLAIMS UZBEK COMMUNITY LEADERS RESPONSIBLE FOR JUNE VIOLENCE. The Central Asia-Caucasus Analyst. http://www.cacianalyst.org/publications/field-reports/item/12218-field-reports-caci-analyst-2011-2-2-art-12218.html