Ardan had been on the international wanted list since 2019, when Kazakhstan’s Prosecutor General’s Office formally requested his extradition from Türkiye. Turkish authorities carried out search operations, and earlier this year, Kazakhstan’s NSC pinpointed his location. Ardan was subsequently detained in the city of Antalya.
On May 9, a local court in Antalya ruled in favor of Ardan’s deportation to Kazakhstan. He remains in custody while legal procedures for his extradition are underway.
Previously, a court in Astana sentenced Ardan in absentia to nine years in prison on charges of embezzlement and abuse of power under Articles 189 and 361 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code.
