Bakiyev’s extradition is a personal matter for President Lukashenko

Extradition request concerning members of Bakiyev’s family is an extremely sensitive issue for President Lukashenko. Belarusian authorities will not extradite and will put pressure on Kyrgyzstan through various channels in response.

On October 2^nd, Kyrgyz MFA reiterated that it was still waiting for Belarus’ response to the official note requesting extradition of the former Kyrgyz head Kurmanbek Bakiyev.

To extradite former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and his brother Zhanybek, currently in Belarus, would be extremely difficult. The main reason is President Lukashenko’s personal involvement in their fate. In particular, in 2010, the Belarusian president said that he personally had invited Bakiyev in Belarus.

As a result, Belarusian law enforcement authorities refuse to extradite Bakiyev’s family members. Repeated extradition requests from the Kyrgyz Prosecutor’s Office regarding Kurmanbek Bakiyev and Zhanybek Bakiyev have been rejected by the Belarusian Prosecutor General’s Office on the grounds that at home they may be subject to political persecution. Such a waiver is envisaged by the Convention on legal assistance and legal relations in civil, family and criminal cases (1993 and 2002), to which Kyrgyzstan refers its extradition requests.

The situation is overcomplicated by the fact that Zhanybek Bakiyev has been declared internationally wanted by Interpol. Also Belarus has the sovereign right to decide on the issue. Finally, Belarus does not extradite its own citizens: unofficial reports say, that Kurmanbek Bakiyev was granted Belarusian citizenship back in 2010. It is likely his brother Zhanybek also has a Belarusian passport. The detention of Bakiyev’s proxy, former director of Gosmatreserves Mr. Rakhmanov, who possessed Belarusian passport, issued in 2011, also confirms these reports.

In Bakeyevs’ case, Belarus is not limited to passive defense, but actively attacks. Earlier, President Lukashenko said that Kyrgyzstan was not ready to join the Common Economic Space, and that it still had a lot to do in this regard. Also Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Belarus to Kazakhstan Mr. Brylev said in an interview with www.Tengrinews.kz, that Belarus was not ready to see Kyrgyzstan in the Customs Union until political issues had been resolved. The main issue in question is Bakiyevs’ case, which has already resulted in the recall of Kyrgyz Ambassador from Minsk.