Sulaimanov, Khabibullo
Who, Why and How exiled: Fled Uzbekistan for Kyrgyzstan in 2001, fearing religious persecution. He had been working as an imam (HRW, 2013; Radio Free Europe, 2013).
Stage 1 details (accusations/ charges/ Interpol notice/ extradition requests): Uzbek authorities ordered his extradition from Kyrgyzstan in November 2012. He was charged with leading, organising or participating in a religious extremist organisation, attempting to overthrow the constitutional order and illegal border crossing (HRW, 2013).
Stage 2 details (arrest/ detention/ extradition): Arrested and detained in October 2012 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, pending his extradition (HRW, 2013; Radio Free Europe, 2013). His extradition order was annulled by the Kyrgyz courts in March 2013 due to fears of ill-treatment if he was returned to Uzbekistan. However, he was immediately detained again and transferred to a prison in Osh, close to the Uzbek border. The new charges apparently related to his illegal border crossing in 2012 (Corley, 2013).
Legal status (refugee/ asylum seeker/ resident): Applied for asylum in Kyrgyzstan in November 2012 (Human Rights Watch, 2013). He was eventually accepted as a refugee (Corley, 2013).
Current status: Sulaimanov was for unexplained reasons immediately transferred to a National Security Committee (NSC) secret police prison in the southern city of Osh, where he faces new Kyrgyz criminal accusations ( Corley,2013).
Press sources: Felix Corley, 2013. "KYRGYZSTAN: Extradition overturned, but new charges and transfer to prison close to Uzbekistan," Forum 18 News Service, March 11, 2013. [Online]. Available at: http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=1812; Human Rights Watch,2013. "Kyrgyzstan: Stop Extradition to Uzbekistan," February 4, 2013. [Online]. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/04/kyrgyzstan-stop-extradition-uzbekistan. Radio Free Europe,2013. "Гражданин РУз просит убежище в Кыргызстане", 14 January, 2013.[Online]. Available at: https://rus.azattyk.org/a/kyrgyzstan_uzbekistan_rights/24823021.html