Chairman of the Baqtak party, Azamatkhan Amirtayev reported that he was prevented from passing through border control in Russia and was sent back to Kazakhstan. According to him, the trip was related to participation in a congress of environmental parties that was scheduled to take place on 26 April.
WHAT HAPPENED AT THE AIRPORT
As Azamatkhan Amirtayev reported on his Facebook page, on 24 April at 21:00 he flew from Astana to Moscow. Initially, he was due to fly on an Aeroflot flight, but after passing through Kazakh customs and border control, he was told by phone that his surname was on 'some list', and as a result he would not be allowed on board.
After this, according to Amirtayev, representatives of the Russian Green Party contacted the relevant Russian authorities and later informed him that there were no obstacles to entry, so he flew to Moscow on the next available flight with SCAT airlines.
HOW THE FLIGHT AND CHECK PROCEEDED
According to him, the flight route changed several times. Initially, passengers were told they would land in Saint Petersburg, then in Moscow, at Sheremetyevo airport. After landing, passengers reportedly remained on the plane for about two hours, after which they were informed of a flight to Vnukovo.
At Vnukovo, according to Amirtayev, while going through passport control, he was told that additional checks were required. He claims he was kept in a waiting area from 03:00 to 09:00 with no explanation given.
WHY HE WAS SENT BACK TO KAZAKHSTAN
According to the politician, in the morning a border guard officer suggested he sign a document regarding his return to Kazakhstan. When he asked about the reasons for the refusal of entry, he claims he was told they were unknown.
WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE TRIP
Azamatkhan Amirtayev stated that he arrived in Russia at the official invitation of the Green Party of Russia to participate in a congress of environmental parties. He also emphasised that he had not broken the law and did not pose a threat.
'I believe that such cases of being closed off (without explanation) are unacceptable and require official clarifications. We should be building bridges, not closing doors,' wrote Azamatkhan Amirtayev.