Fighter Muradov avoids deportation from Czechia, but still has no residence permit

A native of Tajikistan holding Uzbek citizenship, fighter Muradov, has avoided forced expulsion from Czechia, yet he still has not obtained official permission to stay in the country. As a citizen of a non-EU state, without such a permit he would formally be residing in Czechia illegally.

Help came from an unexpected direction — Slovakia, where he was granted a residence permit as a family member of an EU citizen. His wife Sabina and daughter Rumiya, from a previous relationship with singer Monika Bagárová, both hold European citizenship. Since Slovakia is an EU member state, Muradov can move freely through Czech territory as well, albeit with temporary restrictions.

"A valid basis for stay is not only a permit issued by Czechia, but also a document from another EU member state, which allows a person to remain in Czech territory for a maximum of 90 days within any 180-day period," explained Hana Malá, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry's press department. She declined to comment specifically on Muradov's case, citing the confidentiality of data on foreigners' status.

Deportation case opened and closed, then opened again

Police had been conducting administrative proceedings against Muradov since October 2024. In July of last year, a decision was made for the first time to expel him from the European Union for a period of four years. However, at the end of that same year, the head of the police department for foreigners' affairs overturned the decision and ordered the case to be reconsidered.

Ultimately, the very same police officer who had originally issued the deportation decision reversed course in July of this year, permanently terminating the proceedings — according to a document obtained by our editorial team.

"This clearly shows that there is no information suggesting Mr. Muradov poses a security threat to Czechia or seriously violates public order. If that were the case, the police would have reached a different decision on deportation," said the athlete's lawyer, Petr Václavek. According to him, the threat of forced removal from the EU has now been lifted for Muradov.

Residence permit remains out of reach

Despite the lifted threat of expulsion, Muradov still lacks another essential document — a temporary residence permit for Czechia. The Interior Ministry has already rejected his applications multiple times. "The fact that police terminated administrative expulsion proceedings against a foreigner does not in itself create a new legal basis for residence. It merely means that he has not been barred from entering and staying within the territory of EU member states," the ministry spokesperson emphasized.

Muradov filed his first application for temporary residence back in 2020, and a second in 2023. Both times the ministry refused, citing the risk of a serious breach of public order. The decisions were based on a classified report from the National Centre against Organised Crime, which allegedly indicated that Muradov had active ties to "Balkan organized crime."

Last year the athlete filed a third and then a fourth application for a residence permit — and was rejected again, a decision he is now challenging in court. According to his defense, Muradov himself does not understand what "dubious contacts" are being referred to, or with whom.

"Czechia is my home — my daughter and my wife are here, and I love them both; I have countless fans and friends here, and I built a successful sporting career here. I don't know how I could pose any danger to Czechia, and it's exhausting to fight without even knowing what or whom we're fighting against. But we will keep fighting," Muradov said through his lawyer.

Read also: Insurance for renewing a residence permit in Czechia: komplexní 2026

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz