Kyrgyzstan has once again drawn attention for the turbulent fates of its former leaders. This time, former president Almazbek Atambayev was sentenced to over 11 years in prison — in absentia — marking him as the second former head of state in Kyrgyzstan to be convicted without being present in court. He is also the third ex-president to leave the country, underscoring a long-standing pattern in Kyrgyz political history: presidents who rise and fall amid revolutions, criminal charges, or voluntary exile, Azattyk reports.
No other Central Asian country has seen so many transitions at the top. Kyrgyzstan is now ruled by its sixth president, with nearly all of its predecessors having faced prosecution, left the country, or both.
Askar Akayev: the first president, no legal charges — but no status
Askar Akayev, Kyrgyzstan's first post-Soviet president, ruled from 1991 until the 2005 Tulip Revolution forced him into exile in Moscow. Although he faced no criminal charges, his supporters feared prosecution if he returned.
In 2021, Akayev made a surprise visit to Bishkek and was questioned in a corruption case linked to the Kumtor gold mine. Kyrgyz authorities later dropped all charges due to expiration of the statute of limitations.
Akayev continues to teach at Moscow State University. Although he requested reinstatement of his official ex-president status, the parliament declined to open a commission to review it.
Kurmanbek Bakiyev: convicted in Absentia, citizen of Belarus
President from 2005 to 2010, Kurmanbek Bakiyev fled Kyrgyzstan amid mass protests and deadly clashes. He has since lived in Belarus, where he received citizenship and reportedly holds two passports under different names, according to an investigative report published in 2023.
Bakiyev has been sentenced in absentia to 30 years in prison on multiple counts. Kyrgyz authorities say he will be arrested if he returns. However, a recent Constitutional Court ruling opened the possibility of retrial upon his return, a move some interpret as a potential pathway to rehabilitation. President Sadyr Japarov commented that a return would spark “open hearings and the revelation of truths hidden for 15 years.”
Roza Otunbayeva: the only female president in Central Asia
Following the April 2010 revolution and Bakiyev’s ouster, Roza Otunbayeva led the interim government and became the only woman to serve as president in Central Asia. Elected for a transitional term, she peacefully handed over power in 2011 — a first for the country.
Otunbayeva retains her ex-president status and, since 2022, has served as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan.
Almazbek Atambayev: from prison to exile in Spain
Atambayev, who served from 2011 to 2017, was initially jailed in 2019 after a violent standoff with security forces — an episode now known as the Koi-Tash events. The confrontation, sparked by a warrant related to the unlawful release of a convicted crime boss, ended with one officer killed and several others injured. Atambayev was sentenced to 11 years in prison.
In 2023, he was granted permission to travel abroad for medical treatment and relocated to Spain. Earlier this June, a new court verdict in absentia extended his sentence to 11 years and 3 months, including charges related to corruption at the Bishkek power plant, the Dastan plant, and land deals. His property is to be confiscated, and his state awards revoked.
Atambayev has labeled the ruling “political revenge”, stating he is willing to serve time if convicted by the Hague Tribunal.
Sooronbai Jeenbekov: quiet departure, lingering legal risks
Jeenbekov, Atambayev’s handpicked successor, stepped down in October 2020 following unrest over allegedly rigged parliamentary elections. While in office, he oversaw criminal proceedings against Atambayev and his allies.
After leaving the presidency, the tables turned: Jeenbekov’s own relatives and associates became subjects of legal scrutiny. Though he has largely exited politics, parliament has occasionally debated whether to revoke his ex-president status, but no formal action has been taken.
A pattern of power and punishment
Once dubbed the “island of democracy” in Central Asia for its relatively open political environment in the 1990s, Kyrgyzstan has since experienced growing authoritarian tendencies, criminal prosecutions of opposition figures, and inconsistent protections for civil rights.
Yet it remains the only country in the region with such a dynamic and volatile presidential history — one in which losing power often means facing exile, prison, or both.
