Tashiyev convicted. He disagrees with the court ruling

The “major purge” has come to an end

Tashiyev, who had been viewed at the level of a president in Kyrgyzstan, has been convicted. On July 2, Bishkek’s Pervomaisky District Court delivered a verdict in the high-profile criminal case known as the “Letter of 75.” According to the ruling, former Chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security Kamchybek Tashiyev was found guilty of attempting to seize power and was sentenced to four years in prison. The same verdict was handed down to seven other former high-ranking officials, including Kyrgyzstan’s former ambassador to Uzbekistan. Earlier, the state prosecutor had requested nine-year prison sentences for the defendants. Why did the court grant leniency to the former officials?

Tashiyev sentenced to four years

Kamchybek Tashiyev, who headed Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security from 2020 until February 10 of this year and had been mentioned as a possible future president, has been sentenced to four years in prison. On July 2, Bishkek’s Pervomaisky District Court announced its ruling in the “Letter of 75” case, which caused a major public outcry in Kyrgyzstan. Although the trial was held behind closed doors, the verdict was read publicly.

All defendants in the case — former Chairman of the State Committee for National Security Kamchybek Tashiyev, former Jogorku Kenesh deputy Kurmankul Zulushev, former Jogorku Kenesh Speaker Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, public figure Bekbolot Talgarbekov, Kyrgyzstan’s former ambassador to Uzbekistan Emilbek Uzakboyev, former Jogorku Kenesh deputy Kurmanbek Dyikanboyev, former deputy prime minister and former deputy Aaly Karashev, and former Deputy Interior Minister Kursan Asanov — were found guilty under the article concerning “violent seizure of power” and sentenced to four years in prison with confiscation of property.

The prison sentence was replaced with probation supervision for a period of three years. Therefore, if they do not violate the requirements of the probation period, they will not be imprisoned. The court explained that this decision was made taking into account that the crime had not been completed and had remained at the preparation stage. The court also considered the degree to which the criminal intent was implemented and the personalities of the defendants, concluding that they could be reformed without being isolated from society.

The court emphasized that probation supervision does not mean exemption from criminal liability, but is a criminal-law measure whose execution is monitored by probation authorities. The court also acquitted all defendants in the case on charges of abuse of office.

Five figures in the case who had been held in custody since February — Bekbolot Talgarbekov, Emilbek Uzakboyev, Kurmanbek Dyikanboyev, Aaly Karashev and Kursan Asanov — were released from the courtroom. After the hearing, journalists attempted to obtain comments from Kurmankul Zulushev and Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, but they left in their cars without answering questions. Lawyers for Kamchybek Tashiyev and Kurmankul Zulushev said they disagreed with the court ruling and would soon file an appeal. The defendants did not admit guilt.

The “Letter of 75” case is closed

Earlier, several videos about the high-profile “Letter of 75” were published on QALAMPIR.UZ’s YouTube channel. The chain of events was linked to the dismissal of former State Committee for National Security chief Kamchybek Tashiyev, who was once said to be one of President Sadyr Japarov’s closest friends and one of the most influential figures in Kyrgyzstan’s history.

After Japarov came to power in October 2020, Tashiyev took over the State Committee for National Security and was appointed deputy prime minister. In February 2026, Sadyr Japarov dismissed Kamchybek Tashiyev and his deputies. This came after a collective appeal appeared online on February 9 addressed to President Sadyr Japarov and then-Jogorku Kenesh Speaker Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, requesting early presidential elections in the country.

The letter was signed by 75 public and political figures. Shortly afterward, on February 10, Kamchybek Tashiyev was removed from his post as chairman of the State Committee for National Security. Explaining his dismissal, Sadyr Japarov said the decision had been made to prevent fragmentation and division in society. After that, in April, a “major purge” began in the country. It became known that a criminal case had been opened against Kamchybek Tashiyev and a number of prominent politicians.

The collapse of the Japarov-Tashiyev tandem

Until these events took place, Tashiyev’s influence in the country was viewed as almost equal to that of a second president. Above all, Tashiyev is considered one of the key figures who helped Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov come to power.

On October 5-6, 2020, mass protests broke out in Kyrgyzstan against the results of parliamentary elections. Protesters seized several government buildings in Bishkek and freed several politicians from prison, including Sadyr Japarov. Japarov was released from prison with the support of his followers, including Kamchybek Tashiyev. After that, Tashiyev became Japarov’s closest political ally and was appointed chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security. It was he who oversaw the most high-profile cases, shaped security policy and effectively became one of the most trusted figures in the president’s team.

Among experts, their alliance was often described as the strongest political duo in the country, while any personnel changes around Kamchybek Tashiyev were seen as a sign of serious shifts in the configuration of power.

Recently, rumors had spread in political circles that the head of the special service might take part in the next presidential election. Kamchybek Tashiyev repeatedly stated that he did not intend to run for president and supported Sadyr Japarov. In one of his interviews, Tashiyev said: “Sadyr and I are one body, one soul. No one can separate us.”

Tashiyev’s reputation: why did people see him as a “president”?

Tashiyev’s popularity among the public grew thanks to several sharp and populist moves. One of them was the border issue. His personal presence on the front line during armed clashes with Tajikistan and his rhetoric that “we will not give up even an inch of land” elevated him to the status of a national hero.

On September 17, 2022, a major conflict broke out on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. Dozens of people on both sides were injured or killed. Due to the armed clashes, Kyrgyzstan evacuated more than 136,000 citizens, while 87 people were reported injured. Tajikistan, for its part, said the Kyrgyz side was attacking with combat helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. During this alarming and bloody period, Tashiyev stepped onto the main stage: he was personally present at the scene during the shooting and later played a significant role in calming the conflict.

Another action that won public praise for the now-former official was his confrontation with the criminal underworld. His harsh statements in the fight against organized criminal groups and corrupt figures, including remarks such as “we will cut off their hands,” appealed to a public longing for firmness. In particular, the killing of Kyrgyz crime boss Kamchybek Kolbayev, known as “Kolya Kyrgyz,” in Bishkek on October 4, 2023, demonstrated that the purge against “black forces” had become highly intense. This was supported by many.

In addition, Kamchybek Tashiyev also managed to build a positive image through charity work. Social projects carried out by him and his aides, as well as his support for athletes, took Tashiyev’s personal brand far beyond the framework of the State Committee for National Security.

In conclusion, the Kamchybek Tashiyev case marks the end of an era in Kyrgyz politics. The fact that a politician who, only a few months ago, was seen as the country’s second-most powerful official, Sadyr Japarov’s closest ally and a possible successor, has now been punished by a court ruling shows that the balance of power within the government has changed fundamentally.

Although the court handed down a lighter sentence to Tashiyev and the other defendants, the process that began with the “Letter of 75” case effectively ended with the dismantling of the most influential political group within Japarov’s government. The Japarov-Tashiyev tandem, once described as “one body, one soul,” has now become history.