Killers Of Kazakh Tourist Sentenced In Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan's Lake Issyk-Kul is a popular destination for Kazakh tourists.

BISHKEK -- Four Kyrgyz men have been sentenced for robbing and killing a Kazakh tourist at a resort town in August, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reports.

Kyrgyz Supreme Court spokesman Baktybek Rysaliev told RFE/RL that Kairat Nurlan Uulu was sentenced on December 9 to 16 years in jail for beating Erlan Balmakhaev to death on August 7 at Lake Issyk-Kul.

Three others, who were not named, were sentenced to one, three, and five years in jail for their roles in the incident.

Balmakhaev, 32, was robbed and severely beaten in the attack. He fell into a coma after being hospitalized and died in a clinic in Bishkek on August 14.

Thousands of Kazakhs flock every year to Issyk-Kul, the 10th largest lake in the world by volume of water, which is a popular holiday resort.

Read more in Kyrgyz here