Kazakhstan's government says that Karim Baratov, one of four men indicted by U.S. authorities over a massive hack against Internet company Yahoo, is not a Kazakh citizen.
A U.S. Justice Department statement on March 15 identified Baratov, 22, as "a Canadian and Kazakh national and a resident of Canada."
The Kazakh Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter on March 16 that Baratov, who was born in Kazakhstan, lost his Kazakh citizenship in 2011 after he obtained Canadian citizenship. https://twitter.com/MFA_KZ
Kazakhstan does not recognize dual citizenship.
In accordance with Kazakh law, Baratov "filed documents needed to annul his citizenship of Kazakhstan and the request was approved," the ministry said.
The Justice Department linked Baratov and three Russian men, two of them officers of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB), with a 2014 hack targeting Yahoo.
U.S. officials said that Baratov was arrested in Canada on March 14 at the request of the United States.