— Good afternoon, Sadyr Nurgozhoevich. There has been much discussion around the story of Daniil Azhiev, who was convicted for organizing illegal webcam studios. Social media users criticize him for flying out of prison in a helicopter and now showcasing a luxurious lifestyle on social networks. This raises questions about the authority of the government. What do you think about this? We came to you because we heard that Azhiev was released at your instruction?
— Yes, that is indeed the case. I pardoned him and released him. Azhiev's mother reached out to me. I don't know how she got my WhatsApp number, but she sent me a video message.
“I have four children, and one of them is disabled. We are in a difficult situation. Please pardon my son. He promises to behave well and live peacefully,” she said.
I am a person who knows how to empathize. I truly believed her and granted the pardon. That day, I pardoned not only Azhiev but also 75 others convicted of minor offenses.
However, shortly after that, information came in: “Azhiev is flying out of prison by helicopter.” We immediately changed the helicopter's course and returned it to the starting point.
Thus, Azhiev went home by car. The information about his departure by helicopter is correct, but 15 minutes later, we turned the helicopter around and brought it back.
Some people blame the Ministry of Emergency Situations for this, but it is not their fault.
Helicopters can be used not only in emergencies but also for commercial purposes, as such situations do not happen every day.
Therefore, we allowed helicopters to be used during free time for commercial orders so they could cover their expenses. If someone places an order and pays for it, the helicopter will be provided to them.
There are no orders to take Azhiev directly from the prison. Only takeoff and landing locations, flight times, and the number of passengers are specified.
So, the ministry should not be blamed. If someone wants to use helicopter services, they can do so by paying.
Returning to the situation with Azhiev, I was shocked to hear this myself. If his mother said, “we are left with nothing,” while he was renting a helicopter, I thought, “I was deceived.”
Many try to take advantage of my kindness and gentle nature. But this cannot last forever. When a person who has been given chances becomes strict, it is already impossible to correct.
— Some also ask: “Why does the president not grant a pardon to poet Askhat Zhetigen, who is in prison, but releases a person who profited from indecent activities?”
— I do not choose whom to pardon. Decisions are made based on the applications that come in. How can I release someone who has not submitted a pardon request? If he applies, we will consider his request.
— It has been reported that you instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs to withdraw the bill on testing drivers who violated traffic rules, which was submitted to the Jogorku Kenesh. The public reacted positively to this news. Is this bill canceled or will it be implemented in another format?
— The initiative was proposed through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and concerned checking the knowledge of traffic rules among drivers stopped for violations.
If a driver does not know the rules, their license will be revoked, and they will have to retake the exam.
Overall, the approach is correct, but perhaps a bit premature. First, we need to fully prepare the traffic police officers. Sometimes they themselves do not know all the traffic rules.
When the traffic police officers are ready, we can return to this issue.
The goal of such an approach is to reduce the number of traffic accidents.
I always say that in the past, many obtained driver's licenses without training, which contributed to the increase in accidents, resulting in our citizens being involved in traffic incidents.
One way to solve this problem is precisely this approach. People often talk about “lustration.” This can also be related to this part of “lustration.”
We have been engaged in “lustration” in government structures for five years and have practically completed work at high levels. Now let's address “lustration” in other areas.
How else can we conduct “lustration” in this sphere? If violators are left unpunished, accidents will only increase.
Our citizens will continue to die, and the number of disabled individuals will rise. Therefore, this issue needs serious attention.
In the future, the sale of driver's licenses will be almost completely stopped. The state has taken control of this process. We must train those drivers who previously obtained licenses without knowing the traffic rules. Only then can we safely navigate the roads of Kyrgyzstan.
