Former Academy of Sciences employee Karabaev sentenced to 3 years of probation

Former employee of the National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan Zhoomart Karabaev was sentenced to three years of probation. The decision was made today, May 27, by the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek.

The defendant’s defense has already stated that the sentence will be appealed.

«I have never called for mass riots and seizure of power. Maybe I hurt someone’s pride. If so, I am ready to apologize. But I ask the court to acquit me,» Zhoomart Karabaev said in his final statement at the trial.

He believes that the case against him was opened because he refused to write the expert reports needed by investigators in high-profile politically motivated criminal cases.

Zhoomart Karabaev was detained on July 3 of last year by officers of the State Committee for National Security (SCNS). He is accused of inciting mass unrest and disobeying representatives of authorities.

Lawyers believe that the reason was the specialist’s refusal to make distorted forensic examination reports and criticism of former colleagues who do so.

Zhoomart Karabaev was arrested by a court decision and spent four months in a pretrial detention center. Then the expert was released under a travel ban.

Former research fellow at the National Academy of Sciences Zhoomart Karabaev previously testified in the case against publicist Olzhobai Shakir, who was sentenced to five years in prison in May 2024 for preparing mass unrest.