Latest news with #Kyrgyzstan
Al Jazeera
20 hours ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Kyrgyzstan court sentences ex-leader Atambayev to 11 years in absentia
A court in Kyrgyzstan has sentenced in absentia exiled former President Almazbek Atambayev to more than 11 years in prison on charges of corruption and participating in mass unrest in the Central Asian country. Atambayev's conviction and sentencing came on Tuesday after the country's Supreme Court ordered a retrial of an earlier lower court conviction. In a new case, a court found him guilty of illicit enrichment, illegally acquiring land, and of participating in mass unrest in August 2019, when resistance to a special forces operation to arrest him left one person dead and many injured, Kyrgyz media reported on Wednesday. Atambayev, president from 2011 to 2017, oversaw the republic's first peaceful handover of power between elected presidents, but troubles mounted after he quickly fell out with his hand-picked successor. Kyrgyzstan has been rocked by political turmoil, having seen three revolutions since it gained independence with the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Atambayev was first arrested in a chaotic raid of his residence in August 2019, then temporarily freed amid a 2020 revolution, only to be rearrested months later. He was eventually released from prison in 2023 on health grounds, travelled to Spain for medical treatment, and has lived abroad since. Kyrgyzstan's current president, Sadyr Japarov, said on Wednesday he would 'consider granting amnesty' to Atambayev if he requested it. 'Six years have passed since the events. The situation has calmed down. I think the court could have been less harsh,' Japarov told the Kabar official news agency. Japarov came to power as a result of the 2020 revolution. The country had long been seen as one of the freest and most democratic in Central Asia, a region characterised by autocratic regimes. But in recent years, rights groups have criticised democratic backsliding and an escalating crackdown on independent civil society and media outlets.
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Qatar fighting to keep World Cup dreams alive, says Lopetegui
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - World Cup - AFC Qualifiers - Third Round - Group A - Kyrgyzstan v Qatar - Dolen Omurzakov Stadium, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan - March 25, 2025 Qatar players line-up before the match. REUTERS/Pavel Mikheyev/File Photo (Reuters) -Qatar are within "touching distance" of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and will go all out against Iran and Uzbekistan over the next week to keep their dream alive, says new coach Julen Lopetegui. Qatar, who hosted the 2022 World Cup but have never reached the tournament via the qualification route, cannot finish in the top two in Group A to earn an automatic berth in 2027 but can still secure a spot in the playoffs for teams finishing third and fourth. The Gulf side are currently fourth on 10 points, four ahead of Kyrgyzstan. Former Spain and Real Madrid coach Lopetegui takes charge of Qatar for the first time when they face group leaders Iran in Doha on Thursday before they close out the third round by visiting second-placed Uzbekistan on June 10. "Qatar has never qualified for a World Cup through the qualifiers before, and it's a dream we're determined to fight for," Lopetegui told FIFA's website in an interview published on Tuesday. "It's within touching distance. We've got two games left to play, both of which will be incredibly difficult, and in quick succession. "However, despite all the difficulties, we're determined to give it our best shot to earn ourselves another chance of qualifying in October." Qatar have enjoyed considerable continental success in recent years, winning back-to-back Asian Cup titles, but Lopetegui said they are in a transitional phase and still finding their feet. "There's no doubt in anyone's mind that this generation has achieved some very impressive things in the Asian Cup," added the Spaniard, who was appointed coach in May. "However, generations come to an end, and now we need to turn our attention to starting the process again, which will be no mean feat. While we do that, we'll be doing our best to compete, which is the most important thing in the short term." (Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
The National
2 days ago
- General
- The National
World Cup 2026: Can UAE qualify automatically if they beat Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan?
Cosmin Olaroiu will oversee his first fixtures as UAE manager when the national team play Uzbekistan on Thursday and then travel to face Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday. The Romanian coach has enjoyed a glittering career in the club game in the region. Now, his first assignments with the UAE could scarcely be any more significant. The national team are still in with an outside chance of making it automatically to the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. But Olaroiu is going to have to work some magic to make it happen. State of play The top two teams in the group advance directly to the main event. Iran are already assured of one of those places. The UAE and Uzbekistan are the only two sides mathematically in contention for the second. Ahead of the final two matches in the group, the Uzbeks are second, and have a four-point cushion over the national team. With six points left to play for, there is no margin for error for the UAE – but there is still a chance. The permutations To keep the dream alive, the UAE have to beat the Uzbeks when they play at Al Nahyan Stadium – the home of Al Wahda Club – on Thursday evening. If they do that, they will move to within a point of them ahead of the last round of matches on Tuesday. The national team do have one thing in their favour. Their goal difference is superior to the Uzbeks. It means that if they do win on Thursday, Olaroiu's side would have to better what Uzbekistan do in their respective final matches on Tuesday. Meaning, if the UAE beat Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek, and the Uzbeks draw or lose at home to Qatar, the national team would qualify for the World Cup. If the UAE were to draw in Kyrgyzstan, that would also be enough if Uzbekistan lost to Qatar. Is there a fall back option? Sultan Adil's dramatic stoppage time winner to beat North Korea in Riyadh in the UAE's most recent qualifier was not enough to save Paulo Bento's job as manager. It did, though, guarantee the UAE a place in the next phase of qualifying – as a minimum if they don't go through automatically. The third and fourth placed teams in the three groups in the current phase of qualifying will enter into a six-team repechage event. The sides will be split into two groups of three, at a centralized venue, from October 8 to 14. The teams will play two matches in the group, and the sides who finish top will make it to the World Cup. And after that? The qualifying process might seem never-ending, but it will eventually finish at some point. The two runners up in the three-team groups in the competition in October will face each other home and away in November. The winner will go to a six-team intercontinental play-off in March next year. That will include sides from Africa and the Americas, plus New Caledonia from the Oceania confederation. This event – played in one of the three countries hosting the World Cup – will decide the last two teams to play at the main event.
Reuters
7 days ago
- General
- Reuters
Kyrgyzstan detains eight media workers in widening crackdown
BISHKEK, May 29 (Reuters) - National security authorities in Kyrgyzstan have detained eight current and former employees of independent media outlet Kloop, their lawyers said, accusing them of inciting unrest amid a growing crackdown on media in the Central Asian country. Five journalists from Kloop - known for its anti-corruption reporting - were arrested on Wednesday after authorities raided their homes and seized their electronic devices, lawyers for the people said. A further three people were arrested on Thursday. They face charges of calling for mass unrest and disobeying government officials, which can incur up to 10 years in prison. Daiyrbek Orunbekov, the head of the presidential administration, wrote on social media that the media workers had "spread false information" and had published material "directed against the state". A spokesman for the national security body declined comment. Rinat Tukhvatshin, a co-founder of Kloop, said the government's claims were fabricated. Syinat Sultanalieva, a Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch, condemned the detentions as "yet another example of the Kyrgyzstani authorities' continued crackdown on freedom of speech and expression". Several of the people were released after hours of interrogation, while some are still in custody with no access to their lawyers. Kyrgyzstan, a former Soviet republic, has historically enjoyed greater media freedom than its Central Asian neighbours. However, under President Sadyr Japarov, who came to power in 2020, the government enacted a law prohibiting media and individuals from "discrediting" the authorities, providing a tool to suppress dissent. Kloop, an independent outlet founded in 2007, was forced to shutter last year after state prosecutors filed a lawsuit arguing that its NGO publisher, Kloop Media, was not properly registered as a media organisation.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Video: Hulking Olympian Ayaal Lazarev wins debut in seconds – with Raul Rosas Jr. in corner
A hulking Kyrgyzstani Olympian has officially arrived in the world of MMA. Ayaal Lazarev, a heavyweight wrestler who competed in three Olympic Games, made his debut at a recent event in Northern California, and it only lasted 13 seconds. Lazarev (1-0) dispatched of opponent Mike Morales (7-12-1) in short order as the headliner of a Hard Fought Championship event May 3 in Blue Lake, Calif. In his corner was rising UFC star Raul Rosas Jr. and his sister Kenia Rosas Martinez. It's unclear how long Lazarev, 39, has worked with the family, but he cornered Rosas Jr. in the UFC in March. While he's new to MMA competition, Lazarev has a decorated wrestling career. He appeared in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Olympic Games. While he came up short in multiple Olympic bronze medal matches, Lazarev has medaled in international competition around the world – including in the Asian Championships, Asian Games, and Individual World Cup. While it's unclear what his aspirations are, Lazarev ran through his first MMA test with ease. Check out full video of the fight above. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Video: Hulking Olympian Ayaal Lazarev wins debut in 13 seconds
