Former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev plans to travel to Spain for medical treatment after the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in favor of his release pending retrial.
The former president, who said on leaving prison that he had been invited by the President of the Government, Pedro Sanchez, has warned of the «progressive deterioration of his health» over the last three and a half years.
«There is an invitation from the Socialist International. The invitation is from Pedro Sánchez, who has been linked to my release», he has indicated before thanking the Spanish Government for the help offered.
However, he has promised that he will return to the country, «as he always does», once the treatment is finished. «I need to fly abroad for treatment, but I will come back, I will come back,» he said, according to information from the Kyrgyz news agency 24.kg.
He also reiterated that all the charges against him were «fabricated» and thanked lawyers and journalists for all their work and support. The court has previously indicated that all restrictions imposed against him have been lifted, according to the weekly ‘Vecherniy Bishkek’.
The former president was sentenced in 2020 to eleven years and two months in prison, as well as to the withdrawal of part of his assets, for a corruption offense that occurred in 2013 in connection with the release from prison of the mafia boss Aziz Batukaev, although Justice has now decided to repeat the trial.
Atambayev, who presided over the country between 2011 and 2017, has repeatedly emerged victorious from various court proceedings. In June 2022, a court in Bishkek exonerated him of the crimes of corruption and abuse of power in relation to irregularities in the construction of a school and the issuance of passports to Turkish citizens.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
