Kyrgyz authorities arrest four individuals for helping Kudebayev escape

Military Prosecutor’s Office has opened a criminal case to investigate how Serik Kudebayev, a former police general in Kazakhstan, entered the country, the 24.kg online resource reported, citing undisclosed law enforcement officials in Bishkek.

«There are four suspects. All of them have been detained by the police. They’re in custody now in Bishkek. According to preliminary information, one of the detainees is a military serviceperson and three others are civilians,» the media outlet said.

In January 2023, Kazakhstani officials started court hearings against Kudebayev. He was accused of torture and abuse of power during the unrest in January 2022.

In early April, the court was supposed to announce its verdict but the defendant didn’t show up to court. Later, law enforcement officials confirmed that he had managed to escape to Turkey via Kyrgyzstan.

On April 27, Prosecutor General Berik Assylov announced that Turkish authorities detained Kudebayev after receiving an official inquiry from Kazakhstani authorities and extradited him to Kazakhstan. At the time, Kudebayev was trying to obtain a resident permit to stay in Turkey.

The very next day, the court in Kazakhstan sentenced him to ten years in prison for his actions in January 2022.