A new round of political confrontation is breaking out in Kyrgyzstan. The Prosecutor General's Office has filed an appeal against the verdict in the case of "Letter 75", in which the key person involved is the former head of the State Committee for National Security (GKNB) Kamchybek Tashiev. The supervisory authority demands a review of the court's decision, which found Tashiyev and his associates guilty of preparing for a violent seizure of power, but at the same time replaced the actual terms of imprisonment with probation supervision.
The prosecutor's office was outraged, but not immediately
On July 2, 2026, the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek handed down a verdict in the high-profile case "Letters 75". All eight defendants — Kamchybek Tashiev, ex-speaker Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu, former Prosecutor General Kurmankul Zulushev and five other signatories of the letter — were found guilty of preparing for a violent seizure of power. They were sentenced to four years of imprisonment with confiscation of property, but the real punishment was replaced by probation supervision for a period of three years.
The court explained its decision by the fact that the crime was not completed — it was only about preparation, and not about an attempt to seize power. However, it was precisely this softness that caused dissatisfaction with the prosecutor's office.
And the other day, the Prosecutor General's Office of Kyrgyzstan filed an appeal on the basis of article 397 of the Criminal Procedure Code, although specific claims are not specified. However, the essence of the claims is obvious: probation is not prescribed for such a serious article as preparation for a violent seizure of power. The prosecution initially demanded nine years of real imprisonment for the defendants.
In fact, the prosecutor's office insists that the court was too lenient to people who, according to investigators, posed a legitimate threat to the state system. And here the key question arises: why did the court choose such a lenient measure for such serious charges?
The situation becomes clearer if you look at the chronology of events. In February 2026, a group of 75 politicians and public figures published an appeal to President Sadyr Japarov calling for early presidential elections. Almost immediately after that, Japarov dismissed Tashiev from the post of head of the State Committee for National Security and Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers.
The fact is that Tashiev, who for many years was considered the closest ally of the president, by 2026 had turned into a potential competitor. According to experts, he had a huge influence in law enforcement agencies, had strong support in the south of the country and did not hide his ambitions. Before the 2027 elections, Japarov did not need a strong partner, but a loyal subordinate.
That is why the appeal of the prosecutor's office, filed almost immediately after Japarov announced the date of the early elections, looks not just a legal, but a political step.
The fate of Tashiev
If the appeal is granted, Tashiyev and his associates may receive real terms of imprisonment. And this means that the former head of the State Committee for National Security will be eliminated from the political game at least for the time of the elections.
It is significant that Tashiev also does not sit idly by. He has already filed his appeal, trying to achieve a full acquittal. However, the prosecutor's office insists on toughening the sentence, which indicates a serious split: the prosecution believes that the court was too lenient, and the defense — that the punishment is too severe.
The case of "Letter 75" has become a bifurcation point in Kyrgyz politics. It symbolizes the disintegration of the Japarov-Tashiev tandem, which for five years was considered the strongest in the country's history.
If the appeal of the prosecutor's office is granted, this will strengthen Japarov's position before the elections, but at the same time it may cause discontent in the south of the country, where Tashiev retains strong support. If the appeal is rejected, it will set a precedent when the court can impose lenient sentences even on the most serious articles.
In any case, the appeal of the prosecutor's office is not just a legal dispute about the measure of punishment. This is an attempt to stop the threat that Tashiyev, even being convicted, continues to pose to the current government.