On January 11, former Kyrgyz Defense Minister Ismail Isakov was sentenced to 8 years of imprisonment. In addition, he was deprived of his General’s rank and obliged to pay a heavy fine. Isakov was found guilty of the illegal transfer of one of the ministry’s apartments to his son’s ownership while heading the office. At the same time, the Bishkek Military Court freed Isakov on other two charges – the illegal selling of written-off military hardware and embezzlement of budget funds.  Isakov has already appealed against the sentence at the Republican Military Court.

The former General denies his guilt and believes that the court’s decision is politically motivated. “The prosecution started after I wrote a letter to the President where I pointed out the main problems in the country, such as rising corruption and strengthening authoritarianism, and criticized him for his unwillingness to live up to the people’s expectations after the revolution in 2005. With no response from the President, I had no alternative but to resign”, Isakov stated.

It is notable that the nine-month trial ensued after Isakov resigned from the post of Security Council Secretary. Shortly after, he joined the opposition and became a harsh critic of President Bakiev.

The ex-minister’s lawyers argue that the former minister was not aware that the two-room apartment was given to his son illegally and made him return it after publications on the matter in local newspapers. The apartment was returned to the ministry in 2007, the lawyers say.

Ruslan Isakov, the former minister’s son, in turn, claims he was on the list of military officers waiting to be awarded an apartment. “I received the apartment as a captain of the Kyrgyz Army, not because of my father” he stated to the Azattyk (Freedom) News Agency. Ruslan Isakov was discharged from the army after his father’s resignation. From abroad, he recently announced the creation of a political movement against the current regime.

Ismail Isakov was among Bakiev’s closest allies of for a long time. After the so-called Tulip revolution in March 2005, he was appointed Defense Minister. During his three years as minister he was completely loyal to the existing regime. Many politicians and experts note that during this period, the ex-minister was able to implement significant positive changes in the ministry, improving both the army's fighting capacity and the conditions for military personnel. An opposition leader in exile, Edil Baisalov, has described Isakov as “the best defense minister since the country’s independence”. In 2008, Isakov became Secretary of the Security Council, but resigned shortly after.

After the court’s decision, the United Opposition Movement (UOM) issued a statement saying the charges were trumped-up and politically motivated. The movement called upon the authorities to discharge the former minister and stop the political persecution of other opponents. In an interview, the chairman of the UOM Almazbek Atambaev stated that the judge was ordered to give such a verdict by “the Bakiev family”. The leader of the opposition Social Democratic Party in Parliament Roza Otunbaeva added that “the whole court case with its logical ending” was a “show trial for the regime’s opponents”.

In the meantime, a Committee for the Protection of Isakov was created by his supporters. On January 13, some members of the committee, mostly Isakov’s relatives, announced a political hunger strike demanding the release of the former minister. After more than two weeks, the hunger strikers, whose numbers have changed over time – new people joining and others quitting – are simply ignored by the authorities. The chairman of the committee, opposition leader Topchubek Turgunaliev claims that if the President continues ignoring their demands, the opposition will be forced to use “other means”. However, he refused to explain what “other means” he referred to.

Moreover, as the verdict was announced, mass protests took place in the ex-minister’s hometown Sopu Korgon in southern Kyrgyzstan, followed by a blocking of the strategic highway Irkeshtam-Osh, connecting the south of Kyrgyzstan with the Xinjang province in China. After unsuccessful negotiation attempts with local officials, police dispersed the crowd and opened the highway. Later, police officials informed that criminal proceedings were opened against the protesters under charges of “hooliganism”.

Despite the pressure exerted by the authorities, Isakov's supporters assure that mass protests and hunger strikes will start in other regions of the country. However, according to political experts, these “methods” will fail to cause serious political unrest in the country. Political analyst Alexander Knyazev stated that such protests in support of a single person are doomed to failure in mobilizing the masses. Nevertheless, Isakov’s imprisonment could become a factor in raising public discontent, the expert concluded.