Official Minsk can interpret sentence upon Bakiyev brothers as “optional”

The hopes of the Kyrgyzstan MPs that the recent sentence upon Bakiyev brothers increases the chances for their extradition by the Belarusan side can break on the political side of the question.

This opinion in the talk with the EuroBelarus Information Service shared the lawyer of the Legal Transformation Center “Lawtrend” Tamara Sidarenka.

The members of the Kyrgyzstan Parliament have prepared an appeal with the recurring demand of an extradition of the ex-president Kurmanbek Bakiyev and his brother Zhanybek Bakiyev from the Belarusan authorities.

The parliamentary deputy Kanybek Imanaliyev believes that it will be easier to extradite the ex-president and his brother sentenced in absentia to 24 years and to life imprisonment accordingly by the Bishkek court-martial, reports IA REGNUM.

“Now it is an ascertained fact that they are state criminals, and Kyrgyzstan MPs have prepared a respective appeal to the countries members of the Minsk Convention”, - said Kanybek Imanaliyev.

The lawyer of Lawtrend Tamara Sidarenka noted that juridically, there is no difference whether the sentence on the person that is being procured an extradition is delivered or not. “Yes, it can mean that the guilt concerning this person is ascertained. But legal grounds for extradition are pointed out both during the investigation and when the person has already been sentenced in absentia”, - she said.

That is why the question of Bakiyev brothers’ extradition will depend upon the good will of the Belarusan state. “If we are able to ignore the decisions of the UN Human Rights Committee, then in this case the arrangements can be disregarded for some excuse, too”, - recalled Tamara Sidarenka.

According to the lawyer, in the case with Bakiyev brothers political will is much more important than the legal part of the question. “Of course, I have seen neither the former appeal for extradition, nor the answer of the Belarusan side to it. Perhaps, there were some legal issues that allowed us refusing the extradition”, - conceded Tamara Sidarenka. But the refusal due to political reasons looks much more probable.