President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov is ready to consider Askat Zhetigen’s pardon application. He stated this in an interview with Kabar news agency, responding to a question about why the head of state is not releasing the poet from prison, but pardoning a man who profited from dirty dealings.
According to the head of state, he does not choose who to release and who not.
«I make decisions based on pardon applications. If a person has not submitted an application, how can I release them? If they submit an application, we are ready to consider it,» Sadyr Japarov added.
As a reminder, Askat Zhetigen is a well-known akyn (poet) and civil activist, sentenced to three years in prison on charges of inciting mass unrest and seizing power. His criminal prosecution began in March 2024. The reason for this was Zhetigen’s video messages on social media, in which he criticized the actions of the authorities.
