Kaktus.media decided to refresh the memory of Janar Akayev, who has been actively involved in the political life of the country for over ten years, working with various authorities.
Biography
Janarbek Kubanychovich Akayev was born on December 13, 1986, in the village of Kabylan-Kol, Osh region.In 2009, he graduated from Osh State University with a degree in journalism, and in 2018 he received a diploma from the Kyrgyz State Law University in the field of jurisprudence.
Career
From 2008 to 2014, Akayev worked as a correspondent for "Radio Azattyk." In early 2015, from February to March, he served as the press secretary for President Almazbek Atambayev.
In the autumn of 2015, he was elected as a deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh of the VI convocation from the SDPK party and became the deputy chairman of the committee on social issues, education, science, culture, and health. In 2021, Akayev was re-elected to parliament, becoming a deputy of the VII convocation from the "Alliance" party. Since 2022, he has headed the committee on international affairs, defense, security, and migration.
In 2025, Janar Akayev was re-elected from electoral district No. 8, receiving the highest number of votes. Additionally, he is a laureate of the "Golden Pen of Eurasia" award (2011) and the "Kurch Kalem" award from the public foundation named after Melis Eshimkanov (2014).
Janar Akayev is married and raising three children.
Path from Journalism to Politics
Akayev's popularity began as a journalist for "Azattyk" in 2007 when he became a well-known figure, especially in 2013-2014.From 2010 to 2012, he worked as a correspondent in the Bishkek bureau and hosted the program "Azattyk+," and then, from 2012 to 2013, he was a correspondent for "Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty" in Prague, Czech Republic.
In 2013, he began hosting the program "Inconvenient Questions" ("Yngaysyz Suroolor"). In this role, he revealed information that the Prosecutor General Aida Salyanova spent five hours in a beauty salon during protests in Jalal-Abad, which caused a wide public outcry.
From February to August 2015, he served as the press secretary for President Atambayev, after which he actively participated in parliamentary elections from the SDPK, receiving support from Atambayev. During this time, he was offered the position of Minister of Labor and Migration, but he preferred to remain a deputy.
Akayev actively defended the interests of his party and engaged in interesting debates, including discussions with Chubak Jalilov. They later reconciled and jointly held an iftar.
In 2017, after a split in the SDPK faction, Akayev was expelled from it but retained his mandate. This occurred after his statement that 200 customs officers were vacationing in Dubai, as well as his participation in a march for freedom of speech, where he criticized the party line.
Akayev also found himself at the center of several scandals. One of the most notorious was related to a volleyball tournament in 2019 in the Kara-Suu district, organized by the Rayimbek Matraimov foundation "Ismail-Ata." The public was surprised to see him in a photo with Matraimov, to whom everyone had questions. Akayev later explained, "I found myself in an awkward position."
Even Sadyr Japarov intervened in the mandate issue, but Akayev reclaimed his deputy seat through the court.
In the Jogorku Kenesh, he raised important issues such as corruption, freedom of speech, and the release of detained activists and journalists. He also initiated a law on fake news.
Personal Moments
Janar Akayev also publicly responded to accusations regarding a private company registered in his name, claiming that he did not receive any benefits from it.In 2021, the Akayev family made headlines: the police reported a case of domestic violence. His wife filed a complaint with the police stating that her husband had beaten her, but both denied these accusations through social media.
Some memorable quotes from Akayev:
"Speaking in Kyrgyz has become fashionable now."
"If you don't want chimgiriks in parliament, take elections seriously."
