European Court denies return of assets of Almaz Abekov to Kyrgyzstan

The European Court has already twice denied return of Almaz Abekov's assets in Europe to Kyrgyzstan. Lawyer Ikramidin Aitkulov told today at a press conference at 24.kg news agency.
According to him, study of the circumstances of the case in the European Court showed that there was no impartiality. Therefore, the claim of the Kyrgyz side was denied. Kyrgyzstan may appeal the decision until September 19, 2019.
"Almaz Abekov should have been questioned in the spring. But it did not happen because of an investigator of the State Committee for National Security. The investigator denied presence of a lawyer during interrogation. In response, Almaz Abekov refused to testify. The court has taken these circumstances into account. We believe that the investigator behaved this way at the behest of his boss Sultan Toktogonov," said Ikramidin Aitkulov.
The court decided that the official Kyrgyz authorities behaved dishonestly and were trying to mislead the European Court. They did not provide equal access to justice.
"The European Court found that a court in Kyrgyzstan was not an independent body. It depends on the president, because the head of state affirms a judge in office, and he dismisses them. In addition, former president Almazbek Atambayev has repeatedly stated that he personally controlled the case of Almaz Abekov. The court drew attention in its decision to the fact that Almazbek Atambayev was accused of corruption," the lawyer stressed.
Former MegaCom adviser Almaz Abekov was sentenced to 25 years in prison with confiscation of property for economic crimes. He has to pay 91 million soms in favor of the mobile operator. The former head of CJSC Azamat Murzaliev was sentenced to 12 years, the director of Novostroy Service Aman uulu Kenzhebek - to eight years by the decision of the court, but he is already on parole.
In February 2019, the Supreme Court reviewed the criminal case of the ex-adviser to the head of Alfa Telecom CJSC (MegaCom trademark). The judicial board, chaired by a Judge Lepes Temirbekov, changed the sentence of the Bishkek City Court. Finally, Almaz Abekov was sentenced to 15 years in prison.