Kazakh opposition activist arrested in Poland

Eurasia News

Lublin, Poland: Kazakh opposition activist Muratbek Ketebaev has been detained in Poland. The Dispatch News Desk (DND) reported.

Colleagues say Ketebaev was arrested in the Polish city of Lublin on June 12. According to the opposition online news site, Respublika, Ketebaev was arrested at the request of Kazakh officials, which was dated June 7.

Ketebaev, an associate of fugitive Kazakh banker and opposition politician Mukhtar Ablyazov, is known for his criticism of Kazakhstan’s government and President Nursultan Nazarbaev. He has been living in Poland in recent years and has a Polish residence permit.

Earlier this month, Italian authorities deported Ablyazov’s wife and daughter back to Kazakhstan for allegedly violating visa regulations. Ablyazov fled Kazakhstan in 2009 and is currently in Europe. In December, Kazakh authorities shut down several opposition media outlets associated with Respublika and financed by Ablyazov..