Ukraine is continuing to show baffling readiness to collaborate with repressive regimes seeking to persecute political opponents. Journalist and blogger Zhanara Akhmet is facing imprisonment in her native Kazakhstan, almost certainly linked with her criticism of the regime of Nursultan Nazarbayev. It was for this reason that she came to Ukraine in March 2017, together with her 9-year-old son, and applied for asylum. That alone should have precluded her initial detention, but did not, and now a second court has not only rejected the application from an MP and prominent human rights activist to release the journalist on their guarantee, but has reportedly allowed the prosecutor’s demand for 60 days detention, pending a decision on extradition.
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This combination of photos shows Kazakh journalist and blogger Zhanara Akhmet (L) and her son in court on Nov. 3.
