She reported that "he is doing well, he is teaching other inmates to play the komuz and is very happy that people are singing his songs." Abdirasulova also expressed hope for his swift release.
It is worth noting that Askat Zhetigen is a well-known akyn, composer, and master of the komuz. At the age of 18, he became the head of the folklore and ethnographic ensemble "Ordo Sakhna" and managed to perform in more than 20 countries.
Since 2021, Zhetigen has actively expressed his criticism of the authorities, opposing the legalization of gambling, changes to the national flag, the arrest of activists, and reforms in the cultural sector.
In March 2024, he was detained after publishing a video criticizing President Japarov's interview. That same year, the Sverdlovsk District Court found him guilty under Article 327 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic "Public Calls for the Violent Seizure of Power" and sentenced him to three years in prison. In March 2025, the Supreme Court upheld the decisions of the lower courts.
