Belgium has accepted a request from Kazakhstan for judicial cooperation.
The house of political refugee and lawyer Bota Jardemalie was raided in the likely presence of two Kazakh agents, Le Soir reports.
In 2013, Kazakhstani authorities issued an international arrest warrant for Jardemalie, accusing her of “misappropriation or embezzlement of entrusted property” in relation to the positions she held at a Kazakh bank.
A visit at her home in Brussels took place on 1 October in the presence of two unidentified agents speaking in Russian - presumably Kazakh policemen, reports the daily. They went to look for documents in Jardemalie's office.
"Belgium is prepared to deliver a list of political opponents to the Kazakh state. This would create a precedent that endangers all political refugees, lawyers and human rights activists living here. As regards the documents seen by the Kazakh policemen at my home, it is already too late," says Jardemalie.
"Does Belgium realize the consequences of this collaboration with the Kazakh dictatorship? (...) I want to hope that this is a negligence that will quickly be corrected.”
In addition to the investigating judge, Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Justice have approved Kazakhstan's request for cooperation.
The Brussels Times
