Chechen activist Movlaev attempts suicide in Almaty detention center

September 15, 2026 at 03:24 PM2 min

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Chechen activist Mansur Movlaev attempted suicide in an Almaty detention center on September 15, 2026, leaving a note saying he was tired of injustice and feared torture. Medical assistance was provided in time and his life is not in danger, according to the Anti-War Committee of Russia. Movlaev has been held under extradition arrest since May 2025 as Russia seeks his extradition on extortion charges he calls fabricated.

Key Facts

Mansur Movlaev attempted suicide in an Almaty detention center on September 15, 2026, leaving a note that said he was tired of injustice and feared torture.
Movlaev has been held under extradition arrest in Almaty since May 2025, and in July a court extended his detention by five months to January 13, 2027.
Kazakhstan's authorities refused Movlaev refugee status on December 26, 2025, and in September the Court of Cassation upheld that refusal.
UN Special Rapporteur Mariana Katzarova warned in a September 4 letter that Movlaev faces torture, political persecution and possible extrajudicial execution in Russia.
In June 2026, Movlaev's parents were held in an unknown location for two weeks, and his brother Zelimkhan was tortured before that.

Suicide Attempt

Mansur Movlaev attempted suicide in an Almaty detention center on September 15, 2026. He left a note saying he was tired of injustice and feared being tortured and killed by Chechen security forces. Movlaev asked to be buried in Kazakhstan so his body would not be handed to Chechen security forces. He also asked for help for Russian activist Yulia Yemelyanova, who is held in the same detention center and also faces extradition to Russia. Medical assistance was provided in time and his life is not in danger, according to the Anti-War Committee of Russia.

Extradition Case

Movlaev has been held under extradition arrest in Almaty since May 2025. In July a court extended his detention by five months to January 13, 2027. Russia seeks his extradition on extortion charges that Movlaev calls fabricated. Kazakhstan's authorities refused Movlaev refugee status on December 26, 2025. In January a deputy prosecutor general approved Russia's extradition request, and in September the Court of Cassation upheld the asylum refusal.

Detention Challenge

Lawyer Dzhokhar Drozdov said further detention of Movlaev under extradition arrest has lost its original purpose and become arbitrary. Drozdov filed a complaint with the UN Human Rights Committee over the continued detention. The Committee confirmed receipt of the complaint and sent it to Kazakhstan for comments. Kazakhstan suspended the extradition while the asylum refusal is being appealed. UN Special Rapporteur Mariana Katzarova warned in a September 4 letter that Movlaev faces torture, political persecution and possible extrajudicial execution in Russia.