A court in Kyrgyzstan has sentenced former president Almazbek Atambayev in absentia to more than 11 years in prison on charges of corruption and involvement in mass unrest.
Atambayev, who served as president from 2011 to 2017 and oversaw the country’s first peaceful presidential transition, later had a significant falling out with his chosen successor.
Kyrgyzstan has a history of political instability, experiencing three revolutions since its independence in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Atambayev himself was initially arrested in a chaotic raid on his residence in August 2019. He was briefly freed during the 2020 revolution before being re-arrested months later.
Citing health reasons, he was released from prison in 2023, travelled to Spain for medical treatment, and has resided abroad since then.
In this new case, a court found Atambayev guilty of illicit enrichment, illegally acquiring land, and participating in mass unrest in August 2019. This unrest stemmed from resistance to a special forces operation to arrest him, which resulted in one death and numerous injuries, according to Kyrgyz media reports on Wednesday.
The court handed down a sentence of 11 and a half years in his absence.
Current Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov stated on Wednesday that he would “consider granting amnesty” to Atambayev if he were to request it.
Japarov, who came to power as a result of the 2020 revolution, told the official Kabar news outlet, “Six years have passed since the events. The situation has calmed down. I think the court could have been less harsh.”
While Kyrgyzstan was historically viewed as one of Central Asia’s freest and most democratic nations, human rights groups have recently criticised a decline in democratic freedoms and an increasing crackdown on independent civil society and media outlets.
