The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expects Ukraine to reject the extradition request and release former Tajikistani Prime Minister Abdumalik Abdullajanov, who was detained at Boryspil Airport on February 5, 2013.

"The Regional Representation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees encourages the Ukrainian authorities to extend protection to a U.S. recognized refugee who was detained at Boryspil Airport on February 5, 2013, in response to an Interpol red flag," the office said in a press release made available to Interfax-Ukraine.

The statement does not name this person, but says that he is currently being held under temporary arrest while the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office is considering the request for his extradition.

"UNHCR remains confident that Ukraine will decline the extradition request and release this individual as soon as possible, in accordance with its obligations under international law," reads the statement.

The office said that in accordance with international and Ukrainian law, refugee status has an international character, that is if one state recognizes a person as a refugee, then other states shall respect that determination and extend protection.

"Crucially, that protection shall include prevention of refoulement, i.e., forcible return to an individual's country of origin where it has been determined that he would face a well-founded fear of persecution," UNHCR said.

As reported, Abdullajanov was detained at Kyiv Boryspil International Airport on February 5, after he arrived on a flight from Los Angeles.

On February 7, Boryspil court (Kyiv region) granted a request by the prosecutor's office for the temporary arrest of Abdullajanov for forty days.

According to Interpol, Abdullajanov is wanted by Tajikistan's law-enforcement agencies for large-scale embezzlement, racketeering, participation in organized criminal groups, and attempts to organize a revolution, among other charges.

Abdullajanov, 64, was born in Khujand. He graduated from Odesa Technological Institute.

In Soviet times he worked for the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic government.

In September 1992 he was appointed as Tajik Prime Minister. He resigned from the post in 1993 and was appointed Tajik Ambassador to Russia.

In 1994 he nominated himself in the first presidential elections in Tajikistan. According to official data, he lost the elections to the current President of Tajikistan Emomalii Rahmon. After the election, he left for Russia and in 1998 he moved to the United States.

The Tajik authorities accuse Abdullajanov of organizing an attempt to assassinate Rahmon on April 30, 1997, when the president was wounded in the leg. The ex-premier has rejected the accusations in interviews.