Man Opens Fire on Car with Child: What Punishment Did the Supreme Court Impose?

The Supreme Court of the Kyrgyz Republic reviewed the verdict in a case involving a road conflict during which gunfire occurred, deeming the previously assigned punishment too lenient.

• The data for the case is taken from the State Register of Judicial Acts.

According to the investigation materials, on March 14, 2025, a resident of the Aravan district of the Osh region, known as Zh. A. (name changed — Jaloliddin), while on Osh-3000 street in the Dostuk rural district, became involved in a road conflict. Driving his "DAEWOO Tico" car, he fired 4-5 shots from a gas-traumatic pistol at the vehicle of another driver, resulting in damage to the glass. At that moment, the minor daughter of the victim was in the car. Jaloliddin left the scene, and the material damage was estimated at 2,000 soms.

The Aravan District Court on June 3, 2025, and subsequently the judicial panel of the Osh Regional Court on July 23, 2025, found Jaloliddin guilty but limited the punishment to a fine of 700 calculation indicators, equivalent to 70,000 soms. The victim filed a cassation appeal, demanding a stricter punishment in the form of imprisonment.

Jaloliddin is a citizen of Kyrgyzstan, with a secondary education, unemployed, unmarried, and has no prior convictions.

During the consideration of the cassation appeal, the Supreme Court noted that the lower courts did not sufficiently take into account the degree of public danger of the committed act and its nature. In particular, the court emphasized that the shots were fired from gas-traumatic weapons, despite the presence of a minor in the vehicle, which led to damage to the body and windshield, as well as moral suffering for the victim and his daughter.

In determining the punishment, the court must consider the proportionality of the punishment to the degree of guilt and the severity of the harm caused. The Supreme Court concluded that imposing a fine does not meet the goals and principles of justice.

Considering the above circumstances and the requirements of the law, the judicial panel decided to impose a punishment of imprisonment for three years on Jaloliddin under paragraph 3 of part 2 of Article 280 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic, which pertains to hooliganism using firearms or gas-traumatic weapons.