Kyrgyz ex-president released from prison

Former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev has been released from a penitentiary, Social Democrats Party Chairman Temirlan Sultanbekov said.

"The sentence was cancelled in the case of Batukayev's release, and former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev was released from custody," Sultanbekov said.

Atambayev's associates also published the Pervomaisky District Court's permission for his treatment outside Kyrgyzstan.

In the past two years, Atambayev was fully acquitted in the Kalys-Ordo school case, the case into issuing Kyrgyz passports to Turkish citizens and the case into attempt to grab power, he said.

"A commission established by the authorities proved that Atambayev had no relation to the cargo of a plane that crashed in Dacha-Su. The sentence pronounced in the Batukayev case was annulled today," Sultanbekov said.

Atambayev needs two vital surgeries and will also need rehabilitation afterwards, he said.

On the same day, Atambayev was granted permission to leave the country for medical treatment, his ally said.