Aida Salyanova, the former Attorney General of Kyrgyzstan, made a sensational statement claiming that former President Almazbek Atambayev is behind the initiation of several high-profile criminal cases.
In an interview with journalist Semetey Amanbekov, she said: "I was in Kyiv when my first deputy, acting in my absence, initiated a case about an attempted power seizure. The next day I returned and realized that all of this was happening in an extremely dirty manner, and Atambayev is behind it!"
The events in question took place on October 3, 2012, when the opposition party "Ata-Jurt" held a rally in Ala-Too Square regarding the Kumtor mine. The leaders of the action—Sadyr Japarov, Kamchybek Tashiev, and Talant Mamytov—were suspected of intending to seize power and were arrested. In 2013, the first-instance court found them guilty, imposing real prison sentences, but considering the time spent in pre-trial detention, the sentence was deemed served. Nevertheless, all three remained with criminal convictions.
Salyanova now acknowledges that this decision was completely unfounded. The defendants in the case repeatedly emphasized that they had no intention of seizing power—they only wanted to draw attention to the Kumtor issue within the framework of the law.
However, such an approach did not satisfy the then-authorities led by Atambayev. Aida Salyanova also noted: "Sadyr Japarov adequately perceives criticism, unlike Atambayev, who did not like it and often complained about imaginary persecution." In fact, no one was seeking revenge against Atambayev; he himself created myths about persecution.
Atambayev's former associate, Maripa Alyykulova, addressed him bitterly: "What justice were you seeking when you betrayed your supporters? I have been a member of the SDPK since 2009, was injured in the April events. I always supported you, and in return, I faced arrest and persecution during your presidency." She sought justice but found none with Atambayev.
Not only Alyykulova became a victim of Atambayev's political intrigues; the current leaders of Kyrgyzstan also experienced his pressure due to his personal ambitions.
At present, the Supreme Court has fully rehabilitated Sadyr Japarov, Kamchybek Tashiev, and Talant Mamytov, reviewing the case based on new circumstances. They chose not to take revenge on Atambayev or organize a campaign against him, preferring to rise above it.
