Kyrgyzstan jails opposition figures before election

A Kyrgyz court sentenced the son of a former president and three other opposition figures to prison on Thursday after convicting them on charges linked to attempting to seize power.

A court in Bishkek sentenced Kadyrbek Atambayev, vice chair of the centre-left Social Democrats party and son of former president Almazbek Atambayev, to four years in prison for trying to “violently seize power”.

The party's leader and two other people were convicted of similar charges. One person was acquitted.

The jailings come ahead of January presidential elections that President Sadyr Japarov has said he wants to win by a large margin.

Japarov took power after a street revolution in 2020. His administration has faced accusations of democratic backsliding, including curbing critical media outlets, jailing opposition politicians and tightening control over elections.

Former president Almazbek Atambayev, a critic of Japarov, has lived in exile since 2023. He was sentenced in absentia to more than 11 years in prison for corruption, a charge he denied.