Former Top Prosecutor in Kyrgyzstan is Detained

Kyrgyzstan´s former deputy prosecutor general has been arrested and will be held in pretrial detention until Jan. 10, media reported on Tuesday. Kuban Adyl uulu, who was dismissed from his job in April, faces charges including alleged involvement in organized crime and efforts to incite unrest and seize power by violent means, Kaktus.media reported without elaborating. Similar charges have been brought in other cases in Kyrgyzstan, including against media workers, in what critics describe as a heavyhanded way to maintain control and stamp out dissent. The government often warns citizens against spreading disinformation that could destabilize society. Kaktus.media attributed information about Adyl uulu´s arrest to unidentified sources in law enforcement and a district court in Bishkek. Other media outlets in Kyrgyzstan issued similar reports. Vesti.kg reported that several other people were also detained. Adyl uulu was fired as part of a reshuffle of the leadership, including anti-corruption officers, in the prosecutor general’s office that was ordered by President Sadyr Japarov. In the days prior to the dismissal, the president had reprimanded the prosecutor general and the natural resources minister over the alleged interference of subordinates in the activities of the ministry’s licensing commission. Japarov has said that fighting corruption is a priority, though watchdog groups say graft remains entrenched in Kyrgyzstan.