The Pervomaysk District Court of Bishkek has found former President Almazbek Atambayev guilty of a number of crimes and sentenced him in absentia to 11.5 years in prison. Atambayev was found guilty of illegally acquiring land plots in the village of Koy-Tash, Chui region, corruption, and organizing mass riots in 2019.

If audio and video recordings of the court hearing are not available, this will be considered grounds for changing, revising, or overturning the court decision.

Initially, imams will receive a monthly stipend of 8,000 soms (about $91). The stipends will be paid to officially registered imams in mosques across the country. The religious authority says this will reduce their need for donations and external support.

Police officers in the Kyrgyz city of Osh conducted raids as part of a campaign to enforce a new law. Nearly 300 Muslim women were forced to remove their veils and given verbal warnings. The country had previously passed a law banning women from wearing the veil, with fines of 20,000 soms (about $230) set for violations starting February 1.

The leaders of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have agreed to sign a landmark agreement to demarcate the borders of the three countries. The document, to be signed in Khujand on March 31, is expected to end years of disputes and strengthen regional cooperation.

In Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has signed a law restricting the practice of preaching. The document prohibits door-to-door preaching. Japarov stressed that he is not against religion, but stressed that preaching to Islam should be done in a way that does not cause inconvenience to anyone, such as at weddings, funerals, markets and other crowded places.

The head of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan, Kamchibek Tashiev, announced that corruption will be completely eliminated in the country by 2025-2026, and strict laws will be adopted to achieve this. He also warned law enforcement officers against trumped-up cases and the persecution of innocent people.

Kyrgyzstan's Jogorku Kenesh (parliament) has rejected a bill that would have banned the filming of police officers with the aim of discrediting them. The bill would have allowed police officers to be filmed on duty and fined or arrested for distributing the footage.

A prayer hall for employees was established in the new building of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan, opened in Bishkek. Kamchibek Tashiev, chairman of the National Security Council, who visited the department, called on the security personnel to work for the future of the country and not to break the law.