Protest at Kazakh consulate in New York urges no extradition of Emelyanova, Movlaev to Russia

September 28, 2026 at 09:40 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

A protest was held outside the Kazakh consulate in New York on September 27 against the extradition of Yulia Emelyanova and Mansur Movlaev to Russia. Organizers from the Russian Refugee Foundation called on Kazakh authorities not to hand over the two activists. The picket took place despite rain, according to the organizers.

Key Facts

The protest was organized by the Russian Refugee Foundation, according to Exclusive.kz citing the SOTA Telegram channel.
Yulia Emelyanova was detained on August 31, 2025, at Almaty airport during transit through Kazakhstan.
Mansur Movlaev has been under extradition arrest in Almaty since May 2025.
On September 10, the Cassation Court of Kazakhstan upheld the refusal to grant Movlaev refugee status.
Similar protests in support of Emelyanova and Movlaev were held in Tbilisi, Ljubljana, and Tokyo.

Protest in New York

A protest against the extradition of Yulia Emelyanova and Mansur Movlaev to Russia took place outside the Kazakh consulate in New York on September 27. The action was organized by the Russian Refugee Foundation, as reported by Exclusive.kz citing the SOTA Telegram channel. Participants held placards calling on Kazakh authorities to stop the extradition, and the picket proceeded despite rain.

Cases of Emelyanova and Movlaev

Yulia Emelyanova was detained on August 31, 2025, at Almaty airport during transit through Kazakhstan. Russian authorities seek her extradition in a case involving the theft of a phone from a taxi driver, which her defense and human rights activists consider politically motivated. Mansur Movlaev has been under extradition arrest in Almaty since May 2025 on Russian charges of extortion. Movlaev and his defense claim the case is fabricated and that he faces persecution and violence if returned to Russia. On September 10, the Cassation Court of Kazakhstan upheld the refusal to grant Movlaev refugee status, after which his lawyer Vadim Drozdov said the risk of actual extradition to Russia had significantly increased.

Appeals and International Solidarity

Yulia Emelyanova and Mansur Movlaev previously appealed to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to prevent their extradition. Human rights organizations also called on Kazakhstan not to hand them over to Russian authorities. Protests in support of Emelyanova and Movlaev were also held in Tbilisi, Ljubljana, and Tokyo.