Kyrgyzstan’s ex-second in command, Kamchybek Tashiev, has been convicted of plotting to overthrow the country’s President Sadyr Japarov. Tashiev and Japarov had ruled the Central Asian nation in tandem since 2020, until the former was unexpectedly ousted in February.
The country’s former ex-Prosecutor General, Kurmankul Zulushev, ex-Parliamentary Speaker, Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, and five others were also convicted for their role in a case, which hinged on an open letter to Tashiev calling for an early presidential election.
Prosecutors said that the letter represented a call to seize power in a coup.
The defendants were all sentenced to four years in prison, but they will be allowed to serve their terms on probation, rather than behind bars. Each also had their property confiscated. All denied the charges.
The sentencing risks instability in historically volatile Kyrgyzstan, where Japarov is set to seek a second term as President in an election next year.
"The ousting of Tashiev suggests that Japarov feels secure enough in his position to go after such a big target," Temur Umarov, a Central Asia Expert at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, said.
The partnership between Japarov and Tashiev had united elites across the fractious north and south of Kyrgyzstan, a resource-poor country heavily dependent on remittances from migrants working in Russia.
Around 600,000 Kyrgyzstan citizens reportedly work in Russia, around eight per cent of the country’s population. Their wages reinvested in the Kyrgz economy account for around 20 per cent of Kyrgyzstan's GDP.
When Tashiev ruled with Japarov, the two men clamped down on opposition and independent media, in the country where presidents were ousted by protests in 2005, 2010 and 2020.
Japarov and Tashiev delivered rapid economic growth, almost doubling the country’s GDP between 2022 and 2026, according to IMF estimates. But the growth was largely due to the country becoming a key route for Western goods to reach Russia, after European countries imposed sanctions on Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.
European Union (EU) documents seen by the Financial Times in March said that imports of “high-priority items” from the bloc to Kyrgyzstan had risen by nearly 800 per cent since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Exports to Russia from Kyrgyzstan were 1,200 per cent higher, the EU documents said.
In April, Kyrgyzstan became the first country to face secondary EU sanctions over suspected sanction-busting activities related to Russia. The EU banned the export of computer numerical control machines to Kyrgyzstan. The technology is used in the production of components for weapons.
Kyrgyzstan responded in May by shutting down 50 companies operating within the country suspected of helping Moscow evade sanctions.
The U.S. has launched fresh strikes on Iran after Tehran targeted a container ship and said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also claime...
The 4th Shusha Global Media Forum will bring together nearly 160 media leaders, experts and officials from 54 countries in Azerbaijan's historic city...
Concerns are growing over a renewed cholera outbreak in Yemen, after years of conflict has left the country's healthcare system struggling to cope....
The U.S. has launched fresh strikes on Iran after Tehran targeted a container ship and said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also claimed to have expanded attacks on U.S. military facilities across the Gulf.
AnewZ ‘s Destination travels to Kazakhstan’s most enchanting and unique retreat: Oi Qaragai Mountain Resort.
AnewZ Original Series 'Destination' features Kazakhstan’s premier winter sports destination and the largest ski resort in Central Asia: Shymbulak Mountain Resort.
Experience the living heritage of one of the world’s great cultural capitals in this all-new episode of AnewZ Original Series Destination: Shusha, Azerbaijan.
U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington has agreed to resume talks with Iran after Tehran requested further negotiations, but declared that last month's ceasefire between the two countries was "over".
The 4th Shusha Global Media Forum will bring together nearly 160 media leaders, experts and officials from 54 countries in Azerbaijan's historic city of Shusha on 13-14 July, to discuss journalism’s role in peacebuilding, restoring public trust and tackling challenges.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has promised to avenge the killing of his father, while U.S. President Donald Trump said Tehran and Washington had agreed to continue talks despite an escalation of hostilities this week.
The U.S. has launched fresh strikes on Iran after Tehran targeted a container ship and said it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also claimed to have expanded attacks on U.S. military facilities across the Gulf.
Typhoon Bavi pummelled Japan's southern Sakishima island chain with heavy rain and violent winds on Saturday as it headed towards Taiwan, prompting authorities to warn of the risks of floods and landslides.
Qatar is mourning the death of its former ruler, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who has passed away at the age of 74.
This is the last of four articles in AnewZ's series examining how conservationists are working to protect and repair damage done to the Aral Sea which lies between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
At least 44 people have died and more than one million have been stranded due to widespread flooding and landslides across southeastern Bangladesh, authorities said on Saturday (11 July).
Turkish prosecutors have ordered the detention of 36 people, including the mayor of an Ankara district controlled by the main opposition, over alleged bribery and tender-rigging.
Temperatures above 40°C are scorching parts of Central Asia, prompting the World Health Organization to warn that extreme heat is becoming an increasing public health threat across the region.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment