Reputed Kyrgyz crime boss wanted by U.S. released from jail
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 9 June 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Reputed Kyrgyz crime boss wanted by U.S. released from jail, 9 June 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/53b280cc25.html [accessed 20 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 09, 2014
By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service
A reputed Kyrgyz crime boss has been released from jail.
Officials at Kyrgyzstan's state agency monitoring penitentiaries told RFE/RL that Kamchybek Kolbaev was freed on June 8.
Last month, the U.S. State Department offered a reward of up to $1 million for information leading to the disruption of the financial mechanisms of Kolbaev's criminal network.
In 2011, the United States added Kolbaev to a list of major global drug-trafficking suspects.
Kolbaev, 39, was extradited to Kyrgyzstan from the United Arab Emirates in December.
He was then sentenced to 5 1/2 years in jail for extortion, but his prison term was later cut to three years without explanation.
Kyrgyz officials justified Kolbaev's early release on Kyrgyz laws, saying each day spent by an inmate in a detention center is equal to two days in a penal colony.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
