Kyrgyzstan Justice - The Times Of Central Asia

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Former Kyrgyz Presidential Aide Detained in Moldova

Aidar Khalikov, a former public aide to the president of Kyrgyzstan, has been detained in Moldova under an Interpol warrant on charges of large-scale fraud. Investigative journalist Bolot Temirov was the first to report Khalikov's detention, raising the possibility of his extradition to Kyrgyzstan. The report was later confirmed by the General Inspectorate for Migration under Moldova’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. According to their statement, the detention was carried out as part of efforts to locate individuals wanted internationally for evading criminal responsibility. Charges Against Khalikov The Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that Khalikov, born in 1965, is being prosecuted under Article 209 of the Kyrgyz Criminal Code, which pertains to fraud. He is accused of stealing a significant sum of money from a Kyrgyz citizen identified solely as S.D. Investigators suspect Khalikov may also be involved in other similar crimes. The General Prosecutor’s Office of Kyrgyzstan is now working on his extradition. Background Khalikov was a prominent member of the "Mekenchil" party and played an active role in Kyrgyzstan's political landscape, particularly during the political upheavals of 2020. Following those events, he was appointed as an aide to President Sadyr Japarov. However, in 2024, Khalikov left Kyrgyzstan and began publicly criticizing Japarov and his inner circle. Khalikov’s arrest in Moldova underscores ongoing efforts by the Kyrgyz authorities to track and prosecute high-profile individuals facing criminal charges. His extradition process will likely attract significant attention in both Kyrgyzstan and Moldova in the coming weeks.

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Kyrgyzstan Strengthens Fight Against Corruption

Kyrgyzstan’s president, Sadyr Japarov, has signed a new law to intensify the fight against corruption by introducing tougher penalties for offenders and eliminating opportunities for them to avoid imprisonment. Under the new legislation, individuals convicted of corruption will no longer be able to pay fines or compensate the state for damages in exchange for avoiding prison sentences. Instead, they will be required to serve a mandatory prison term - even if they confess to their crimes. The new law amends Article 79 of Kyrgyzstan’s Criminal Code by adding Part 1/1. According to this amendment: Offenders who plead guilty and fully compensate the material damage caused to the state for crimes listed under Articles 336-348 (corruption and other offenses against state and municipal interests) must receive a prison sentence. The sentence will be no less than half the minimum term prescribed under the relevant criminal article. Additionally, corrupt individuals will be permanently barred from holding state or municipal positions, regardless of whether their criminal record is later expunged. This law signals Kyrgyzstan’s commitment to eradicating corruption within state structures. Authorities believe it will create the necessary mechanisms to deter corrupt activities and hold offenders accountable. One of the country’s most high-profile corruption cases involved former customs officer and oligarch Raimbek Matraimov, nicknamed “Million.” As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Matraimov avoided imprisonment by paying over $200 million to the state, sparking public outrage over leniency in sentencing. The new law addresses such loopholes, ensuring that financial restitution alone will no longer suffice to escape imprisonment. This reform underscores Kyrgyzstan’s broader efforts to strengthen governance, restore public trust, and ensure accountability at all levels of government.

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Repatriating Islamic State Fighters and Families: Balancing Security and Humanity

With the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, repatriating foreign fighters is a pressing issue at the intersection of global security, humanitarian principles, and national responsibility. Central Asian governments — namely, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan — have emerged as proactive players in repatriating their citizens from camps in northeastern Syria. While these efforts are laudable, they come with challenges and unanswered questions. Tens of thousands of people, many of them women and children associated with former ISIS or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria - a terrorist organization known for its extreme ideology and violent actions of its’ fighters — remain trapped in the camps of northeastern Syria. Their lives are defined by squalor and uncertainty, and they face a bleak future. Central Asian nations have stepped up where many others have faltered, asserting their responsibility to help their citizens who languish there. Yet, this commitment is not without its limits. Repatriating men — many of whom were fighters — remains a challenge that even the most ambitious programs have struggled to address. This issue looms large, as it intertwines with broader questions. These include reintegration, security risks, and the potential for radicalization, both in prison systems and broader society. The scale of efforts undertaken by four of the Central Asian countries is significant. Together, they have repatriated around 2,200 citizens: Kazakhstan, the most, 754 individuals, followed by others with numbers ranging from 381 to 533. These figures represent more than just logistical achievements. They reflect these governments' commitment to humanitarian principles. However, the path has not been entirely smooth, as some of the repatriated women and children have returned back to conflict zones. As counterintuitive as this may seem, they might do so out of ideological commitment, social ties, coercion or threats, trauma bonding, or difficulty reintegrating into their home societies. All this suggests cracks in reintegration programs that must be addressed. The strategies employed by the Central Asian states, despite their common goal, differ in focus and execution. Kazakhstan’s “Operation Zhusan” is often mentioned as a model of coordination and commitment. It has gone beyond mere repatriation to a vision embracing comprehensive reintegration, including other services, such as DNA testing to identify orphaned children. Yet such efforts rely heavily on state resources and long-term political will, neither of which can be taken for granted. Uzbekistan’s Mehr ("Kindness") initiative has particularly focused on protecting children and supporting the unification of families. Yet even with international appreciation, Uzbekistan faces the same challenges as its neighbors: how to sustain this momentum and address lingering societal stigmas toward returnees. Kyrgyzstan paused its repatriation operations in Iraq due to legal roadblocks and has turned its attention to Syria. However, Kyrgyzstan relies significantly on international cooperation, as its own economic resources for such activities are comparatively limited. So far, it has repatriated 511 citizens. Tajikistan’s steady progress highlights even more pointedly the role of international cooperation with organizations like UNICEF and the European Union. The Tajik authorities have worked closely with...

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Deportations of Central Asians from the U.S. Increased in 2024

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has released its Fiscal Year 2024 Annual Report, detailing the agency’s accomplishments over the past year. The report highlights how ICE’s directorates and program offices met their mission objectives. Established in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, ICE is tasked with protecting the American public, ensuring public safety, and promoting national security. According to the report, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) deported 271,484 non-citizens with final orders of removal to 192 countries. This total includes 88,763 individuals charged with or convicted of criminal offenses, 3,706 known or suspected gang members, 237 known or suspected terrorists, and eight human rights violators. More than 30% of those deported had criminal histories, with an average of 5.63 convictions or charges per individual. ERO also assisted in identifying and arresting individuals wanted in their home countries for serious crimes, including terrorism and torture. The Times of Central Asia examined the report with a focus on Central Asian countries. In 2024, the US deported 572 Uzbek nationals - a dramatic increase compared to 88 in 2013, 21 in 2021, and 55 in 2022. Deportations of Tajik citizens also surged, reaching 77 in 2024 compared to only four annually in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023. Kazakhstan saw the deportation of 23 of its citizens this year, up from 14 in 2023. Deportations to Kyrgyzstan also spiked, with 69 individuals removed in 2024. By comparison, only three Kyrgyz citizens were deported in 2020, eight in 2021, one in 2022, and 14 in 2023. Meanwhile, deportations of Turkmen nationals remained low, but still showed an upward trend. In 2024, five Turkmen citizens were deported, compared to four in 2019, one in 2022, and three in 2023.

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Kyrgyzstan Cracks Down on Major Religious Extremist Organization

In Jalal-Abad, officers of Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (SCNS) neutralized one of the largest structural networks of the banned religious extremist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir. According to the SCNS press service, 22 active members of the organization were detained, including the leader (“masul”), five spiritual leaders (“nakibs”), and eight teachers (“mushrifs”) who taught extremist ideology to small groups of 3-5 students in clandestine settings. The SCNS reported that the detainees had been actively spreading destructive ideas, recruiting supporters, and distributing extremist materials for several years. During the operation, authorities discovered an underground printing house where extremist materials were being produced. A large cache of literature, as well as computers and copying equipment, was seized. The SCNS also noted that members of the network used drones to ensure the security of their meetings by detecting possible surveillance by law enforcement agencies. The detainees are currently being held in the SCNS detention center, and investigations are ongoing to identify additional members of the network and their activities. Hizb ut-Tahrir is an international religious extremist organization banned in Kyrgyzstan since 2003. Its goal is to establish a global Islamic caliphate by overthrowing secular governments. The organization is particularly active in Kyrgyzstan's southern regions, where it promotes extremist ideology and recruits new members. Kyrgyz authorities have been proactive in combating Hizb ut-Tahrir, regularly detaining its members and working to suppress its activities.

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Kyrgyz Security Chief Declares Crackdown on Organized Crime a Success

Kamchybek Tashiev, the head of Kyrgyzstan’s State Committee for National Security (SCNS), declared that organized criminal groups (OCGs) have almost been eradicated nationally. Speaking at a press conference in Bishkek, Tashiev highlighted significant achievements in the fight against organized crime. According to Tashiev, property valued at 50 billion Kyrgyzstani som (KGS) has been recovered for the state budget as part of ongoing anti-crime efforts. Among the confiscated assets are those belonging to prominent figures in the criminal underworld, such as Kamchy Kolbaev, Kadyr Dosonov, Chyngyz Jumagulov, and Erkin Mambetaliyev. “A lot of property has been seized. Several boarding houses and sports complexes have already been sold,” Tashiev stated. He also added that organized criminal groups have lost their influence and resources, asserting that Kyrgyz citizens can now work without fear. Kyrgyzstan’s government has intensified its campaign against organized crime. Key figures, including notorious crime boss Kamchy Kolbaev, have been detained or eliminated. Following these measures, several criminal leaders have publicly renounced their past and pledged to comply with the law. The Kyrgyz Interior Ministry has drafted the law “On the Prevention of Organized Crime” to establish a legal framework for combatting OCGs. This proposed legislation outlines preventive measures such as official warnings and financial audits for individuals suspected of criminal activity. While applauding the government’s efforts, some experts warn of potential negative consequences. Political scientist Aida Alymbayeva stressed that anti-crime initiatives must strictly adhere to legal procedures to avoid infringing on citizens' rights. Similarly, Doctor of Economics Asylbek Ayupov added that property seizures and arrests could impact tax revenues and harm Kyrgyzstan’s investment climate.