Authorities allow wanted Russian journalist to leave Kazakhstan for Europe

16.01.2024, 20:34 exclusive.kz

A Russian journalist and activist wanted at home on charges of discrediting the army was allowed to leave Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

The day before, authorities had prevented Yevgeniya Baltatarova from boarding a flight from Almaty to Paris, via Istanbul.

“I have been let out. Finally,” she wrote on her Telegram channel on Tuesday.

In her previous two video messages the same day, a tearful Baltatarova said border officers at the airport were again holding her up, citing alleged issues with her documents.

Baltatarova, who is from Buryatia, is facing up to 15 years in jail in Russia for allegedly discrediting the Russian army.

She left Russia for Kazakhstan in March 2022 after security services searched her home on suspicion of fraud. A few months later, Russian authorities issued an arrest warrant for her and put her on an international wanted list.

While in Almaty, she founded a public association, Tochka Nevozvrata (Point of No Return) to support Russians who have fled to Kazakhstan since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Kazakh authorities briefly detained Baltatarova in September 2022. In November she was barred from leaving the country for Kyrgyzstan.

Last year, Kazakh authorities turned down her political asylum request, saying that the charges brought against her in Russia were not political.

In an interview with Exclusive.kz last year, Baltatarova said that because of the agreements between Kazakhstan and Russia on mutual extradition of wanted persons, she did not feel safe in Kazakhstan.

“The other Russians in Kazakhstan who are facing criminal cases at home are in the same situation,” she said.

Speaking about the situation in Russia, she said the country was “in deep crisis”, and everyone was affected by it.

“Any kind of comfortable and safe life in Russia is out of the question at the moment – everyone is feeling discomfort.

“The war is openly supported only by a few radicals, but their voices are so prominent only because of the total silence of the majority of Russians. This creates an impression that all Russians support the war and Putin,” she added.