Gulshat Zholdosheva and Sultambai Ayjigitov. Photo: aki.kg
Former member of Kyrgyzstan's parliament, the Jogorku Kenesh, Sultambai Ayjigitov, and his wife, Gulshat Zholdosheva, have been placed under house arrest until July 2, 2025, according to a decision by the First Mai District Court in Bishkek, reports 24.kg.
According to Kaktus.Media, during the court proceedings, Ayjigitov suddenly felt unwell, became pale, and was hospitalized with suspected stroke symptoms.
The house arrest was imposed following charges against Ayjigitov for abuse of power. According to the State Committee for National Security (GKNB), in 2022, while serving as a parliament deputy, he unlawfully appointed his wife as an assistant in the Jogorku Kenesh apparatus. The investigation alleges that this violated legislation prohibiting spouses from being in a direct subordinate relationship in government service, as well as the Code of Ethics for parliament members. Zholdosheva is accused of unlawfully receiving more than 3.2 million soms (approximately $36,600) from the state budget between February 2022 and April 2025 in the form of salary, bonuses, and other payments.
The GKNB also claims that similar violations occurred when Ayjigitov served as governor of the Batken region from 2005-2008 and 2010-2011, during which time he unlawfully employed his wife as the director of the «Tort-Gul» hotel.
Meanwhile, photos have emerged on social media showing Ayjigitov and Zholdosheva with visible injuries. The former deputy claimed they sustained these injuries while being detained by GKNB officers, who allegedly used force to drag them into a car for a forced interrogation. Ayjigitov asserts that the officers used force when he attempted to defend his wife. A source within the law enforcement agencies, however, stated that the injuries were a result of the couple resisting the GKNB officers. The authorities have not yet officially commented on the incident.
ℹ️ Ayjigitov's troubles began in early March when he publicly criticized the Kyrgyz authorities over the demarcation of the state border with Tajikistan. He argued that the border agreement favored Tajikistan. Following his statements, his faction, «Yymen Nuru,» expelled him, and GKNB head Kamchybek Tashiev claimed to have gathered compromising documents about Ayjigitov. At the end of March, Kyrgyzstan's Central Election Commission stripped Ayjigitov of his parliamentary mandate, citing his failure to disclose a prior criminal conviction during his candidacy registration. Ayjigitov, however, insists that he had obtained a certificate of no criminal record from the Ministry of Internal Affairs before running for office.
