Photo: 24.kg
On June 3, Bishkek’s Pervomaisky District Court sentenced former President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev to 11 years and 6 months in prison in connection with the 2019 events in the village of Koi-Tash, AKIpress reported. In addition to the prison term, Atambayev was stripped of his state honors and had his property confiscated.
Other defendants in the Koi-Tash case also received sentences. Farid Niyazov, former chief of staff to the president, and Ravshan Jeenbekov, a former member of parliament, were each sentenced to 7 years and 8 months. Irina Karamushkina, a former MP from the Social Democrats party, received 7 years and 6 months, while Atambayev supporter Farhad Baabiev was sentenced to 5 years and 6 months. All four were taken into custody in the courtroom.
Nine other individuals, including Atambayev’s former bodyguard Kanat Sagymbayev, received probationary sentences ranging from 3 to 5 years.
The court consolidated three separate criminal cases into one trial, addressing not only the Koi-Tash incident but also charges of illicit enrichment and unlawful acquisition of land plots.
The harshest sentence among the corruption charges went to former Energy Minister Askarbek Shadiev, who was sentenced to 15 years and 6 months in prison, along with property confiscation and a three-year ban from holding public office.
Other high-profile defendants, including former Interior Minister Abdilda Suranchiev, were spared punishment due to statutes of limitations.
The court also ordered Atambayev and Shadiev to jointly pay over 5.4 billion soms (approximately $62 million) in damages.
President Sadyr Japarov commented on the verdict in an interview with the Kabar news agency, stating that while no one can overturn the court’s decision, he holds the constitutional right to grant a pardon.
“If an appeal is submitted, I could consider a pardon. It’s been six years since the events in Koi-Tash. Emotions have cooled. I believe the court didn’t need to be so harsh. Of course, this is my personal civic view — probation or fines would have been preferable,” said Japarov.
The Koi-Tash trial began in 2022 and was later expanded to include corruption-related charges. In February 2023, Atambayev was released to undergo medical treatment abroad. He traveled to Spain and has not returned since.
In August 2019, Kyrgyz special forces attempted to detain Atambayev at his residence in Koi-Tash. His supporters resisted, resulting in the death of one security officer and over 100 people injured.
