Former Kyrgyzstan President Almazbek Atambayev has been sentenced in absentia to 11.5 years in prison for corruption and inciting unrest. The court found him guilty of illegally acquiring land and taking part in the 2019 protests that triggered widespread instability in the country.
Atambayev, who served from 2011 to 2017, was first arrested in August 2019 after a raid on his residence. Although briefly released during the 2020 protests, he was re-arrested and later freed in 2023 for medical treatment in Spain, where he has remained since.
Current President Sadyr Japarov—who rose to power amid the 2020 unrest—has said he may consider granting amnesty, noting, “Six years have passed, the situation is calm. The court could’ve been less harsh.”
