Poland has deported a purported former Russian FSB officer who sought asylum within the nation again to Russia, accusing him of mendacity about his previous and background.
Emran Navruzbekov claimed to have been a senior officer in Russia’s FSB safety service within the southern area of Dagestan, and had not too long ago given quite a few media interviews about FSB operations and alleged misdeeds. He was handed over to Russia at Poland’s land border with the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on Tuesday.
The transfer prompted outrage from one among Navruzbekov’s legal professionals, who stated he confronted the chance of jail, torture or worse again in Russia, and that the choice got here as a shock provided that Poland is without doubt one of the most vocal critics of the Russian regime.
A spokesperson for the Polish border guard confirmed in an emailed assertion that Navruzbekov was deported on Tuesday, after it was discovered that he “posed a menace to the defence, state safety or the safety of public order”, including that he had been banned from coming into Poland and the Schengen space for 10 years.
“The overseas citizen was deported from Poland to his nation of origin, which is Russia,” stated the border guard assertion.
Navruzbekov fled Russia in 2017, apparently as he was being ready for an FSB mission to comply with exiles in Turkey. After a number of years dwelling in Europe with out his identify being public, final December he gave an extended interview to Vladimir Osechkin, founding father of the organisation gulagu.web, which has labored extensively with defecting Russian troopers.
The video interview, which has been seen virtually 1m occasions on YouTube, described Navruzbekov as “a 2022 model of Litvinenko”, who had supplied priceless info on the crimes of the Russian regime.
Navruzbekov subsequently spoke to varied media retailers, and stated he feared he might face penalties for his disclosures. “After all I’m afraid. I understand how they work. Historical past says that in any case I will likely be killed,” he instructed CNN in January.
Nonetheless, in mid-Could he was arrested by Polish authorities and instructed he could be deported. He was positioned in a detention centre whereas his enchantment was processed, however his legal professionals believed that they had till mid-August to enchantment in opposition to the choice, and had lodged an emergency request for a listening to to stop the deportation on the European court docket of human rights on Tuesday morning. Earlier than the enchantment might be heard, information got here that he had already been deported.
Karinna Moskalenko, a well known Russian human rights lawyer who’s a part of Navruzbekov’s authorized staff, stated she hoped Poland would face penalties for deporting an individual who was at “vital danger of torture” in his homeland.
“Different nations ought to know that they can not deport individuals who have fled Russia again to Russia on the present time,” she stated.
Polish authorities, in a press release launched on Wednesday afternoon, stated that they had rigorously studied Navruzbekov’s case and located his story to not be credible.
“Polish secret companies assessed Navruzbekov as an individual whose intentions and testimonies are unreliable and lift actual doubts in regards to the cause for his presence in Poland,” stated the assertion.
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“The biographical information supplied by him, his described skilled path and the knowledge he gave about Russia’s actions … turned out to be inconsistent, in lots of locations additionally unfaithful or unverifiable,” it continued.
Osechkin, reached by phone on Tuesday, stated Navruzbekov’s story was “sophisticated and troublesome” and stated he understood why Polish authorities had change into suspicious of the Russian.
Moskalenko stated she couldn’t touch upon the character of the Polish allegations, however accused authorities there of a “crude violation of human rights” for deporting Navruzbekov earlier than the enchantment course of had been exhausted.
“Abruptly, in an enormous rush they pulled him out of the ability the place he was being held ready for the choice on his enchantment. The enchantment had not been heard but, so you can not name the deportation choice a remaining choice,” she stated.
Navruzbekov’s spouse, Irada Navruzbekova, stated on Wednesday that she understood her husband was now in Kaliningrad and going through a right away court docket case, although she had no details about what fees he confronted or whether or not he had a lawyer.
“I don’t know what to do, and I don’t know what they are going to do with him. I actually hope he stays alive; that my youngsters will nonetheless have a father,” she stated in a phone interview.
The couple have two youngsters together with a two-month-old child, she stated. Poland granted asylum safety to her and the 2 youngsters on the identical day her husband was deported.
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