More than 1,200 Kyrgyz citizens are serving sentences in Russian prisons

At a meeting of the Committee of the Jogorku Kenesh on Justice, Law and Order, and the Fight Against Corruption, Deputy Altynbek Kilychbaev drew attention to the problem of Kyrgyz citizens serving sentences in Russian prisons. According to him, many convicted individuals face difficulties in the extradition process and often do not receive responses to their inquiries for a long time.

“What are the timelines for processing letters coming from abroad? Hundreds of Kyrgyz citizens are in prisons in Russia, and some of them are being recruited to participate in combat operations. People are waiting for responses to their requests to return home for months,” Kilychbaev noted.

Umutkan Konkubaeva, Deputy Attorney General, reported that in 2024, 128 citizens convicted abroad were returned to their homeland, of which 118 were from Russia. In the following year, 2025, this number increased to 221, and decisions have already been made regarding 124 Kyrgyz citizens, with their transfer expected.

The Deputy Attorney General also added that currently, 1,210 citizens of Kyrgyzstan are serving sentences in Russian prisons. She noted that completing all necessary procedures can take a significant amount of time, as this is an intergovernmental process. It is necessary to wait for a court decision in Russia, which can also be delayed for months, concluded Umutkan Konkubaeva.