Twelve Kazakh citizens who traveled to Russia for work but ended up being drawn into the war in Ukraine have returned home. Lawyer Meirman Shekeyev announced that the men had been released from their military obligations and legal obstacles to their return to Kazakhstan had been resolved.
According to Shekeyev, the outcome was achieved with the assistance of Kazakh government authorities.
«This is more than just a homecoming. Behind it lie the tears of parents, the hopes of families and the return of Kazakh citizens to their native land. My deepest gratitude to everyone who worked to ensure that each of these young men could return to their own soil, their own country and their parents,» the lawyer wrote on Instagram.
Diplomatic efforts to secure their return
Shortly before the announcement, Shekeyev said that 13 Kazakh citizens were being prepared for release from the combat zone in Ukraine. He noted that Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had sent a diplomatic note to Russia.
Previously, Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev explained the difficulties involved in securing the return of Kazakh citizens held in captivity. He cited prisoner-of-war exchanges between Russia and Ukraine, as well as cases involving dual citizenship, as factors complicating the process. At the time, he said no additional cases of this kind had been reported.
Read also: Kazakhstani citizen investigated for fighting in Ukraine, seeks Putin’s help.
Notably, approximately 30 citizens of Central Asian countries have been reportedly taken captive since the war began. In Kazakhstan, 46 criminal cases have been opened over citizens’ participation in armed conflicts abroad.