Today, the Higher Court in Podgorica granted Kazakh women’s rights activist Dinara Smailova the opportunity to defend herself from outside of prison, just a day after her arrest in Montenegro.

According to Radio Free Europe, the court has ordered the confiscation of Smailova’s passport.

She was taken into custody in Budva on Monday.

“DS was apprehended following an order from the investigating judge of the Higher Court in Podgorica, responding to a request for extradition from Kazakhstan to facilitate criminal proceedings against her,” stated the police.

An arrest warrant was issued in late December 2023 by a court in Kazakhstan for the leader of the NeMolchiKZ organization, which advocates against domestic and sexual violence.

Officials in Kazakhstan have charged Smailova with fraud, privacy violations, and disseminating false information.

She could face up to ten years in prison if convicted of the charges in her homeland.

Smailova is a vocal critic of Kazakh authorities, particularly regarding their handling of cases involving women and children facing sexual and domestic violence.

Last February, Human Rights Watch described the allegations against her as “suspicious” and expressed concerns that authorities were engaging in a “fishing expedition” for evidence, calling into question their intentions in this case.

Having lived in self-imposed exile for several years, Smailova has been residing in Montenegro since 2023.

The Council for Civilian Control of Police Work cautioned Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović last October that Smailova was at risk of extradition to Kazakhstan, indicating that the country, like Russia, is intensifying pressure on human rights defenders.

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