Kyrgyz ex-president sentenced in absentia to ten years

The Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek sentenced former Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev in absentia to ten years in prison.

“Bakiyev was found guilty of committing a crime under part 2 of article 336 of the Criminal Code [Corruption], he was sentenced to imprisonment for a period of ten years with confiscation of property, with deprivation of the right to hold public office for a period of three years,” Interfax reports via the press service of the court.

It is assumed that taking into account past sentences, Bakiyev, who lives in Belarus, should serve 30 years.

Kurmanbek Bakiyev was the President of Kyrgyzstan from 2005 to 2010.

In July 2021, the Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security (GKNB) announced that Bakiyev and the first president of Kyrgyzstan, Askar Akayev, were put on the wanted list in a case of corruption in the development of the Kumtor gold mine.

According to security officials, Akaev was prosecuted for abuse of office as a result of an agreement with Canadian investors in 1992-1994.

Bakiyev also passes under similar articles - for concluding later agreements with investors. The investigation also establishes the possible involvement of two more former presidents - Almazbek Atambaev and Sooronbai Jeenbekov - in the conclusion of agreements with Canadian companies that are obviously unfavourable for Kyrgyzstan.