Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov said he brought together all five former presidents of his Central Asian nation in an unprecedented move as a show of unity that was supported by the former leaders, some of whom had been convicted of crimes and were living in exile.
"My dream was to think that the supporters of each president, the people of our seven provinces, will focus on one direction, leave politics, and develop the economy and the nation with one breath," Japarov said, according to his spokesman.
Japarov did not disclose the site of the meeting, saying only that it "took place in a neutral place for obvious reasons," but sources familiar with the gathering told RFE/RL it took place in Dubai.
Kyrgyzstan, which became independent in 1991 with the breakup of the Soviet Union, has had six presidents since then.
Those attending the meeting, according to Japarov's spokesman, were the following:
Askar Akaev
Akaev ruled the country from 1991-2005 but was charged with corruption and has been living in self-exile since he fled to Moscow during the so-called Tulip Revolution in 2005.
On January 13, Kyrgyz Prosecutor-General's Office said all corruption charges against Akaev had been dropped due to the expiration of the statute of limitations.
Since 2021, Akaev has made several short visits to Bishkek to be questioned in connection with the corruption investigation.
Kurmanbek Bakiev
Bakiev, 73, fled Kyrgyzstan for Belarus with family following anti-government protests in 2010. A Bishkek court sentenced him in absentia to life in prison after convicting him of involvement in the killing of almost 100 protesters during the uprising.
Bakiev led the country from 2005 to 2010. He has been living in Belarus since 2010.
Roza Otunbaeva
Since her stint in 2010-2011, Otunbaeva has remained active in Kyrgyz politics and was appointed last year by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as the UN's special representative for Afghanistan.
Otunbaeva became interim president of Kyrgyzstan in April 2010 after the bloody uprising forced Bakiev into exile. She relinquished the presidency the following year after new elections were organized.
Almazbek Atambaev
Atambaev (2011-2017) left Bishkek in recent days for Spain the day after he was released from a Kyrgyz prison to receive medical treatment abroad.
Atambaev was serving an 11-year prison term for his role in the illegal release of notorious crime boss Aziz Batukaev in 2013.x
Sooronbay Jeenbekov
Jeenbekov (2017-2020) resigned the presidency amid widespread anti-government protests.
While Kyrgyzstan is known for having a vibrant and pluralistic media environment compared with its Central Asian neighbors, human rights groups have warned that the climate for free expression has deteriorated since Japarov first came to power in October 2020, especially with the approval of the Law on Protection from False Information, adopted in August 2021.
In April 2022, Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on Kyrgyz authorities to stop "harassing" independent media after a spate of criminal cases against journalists.
"Kyrgyzstan has a dynamic political landscape, but shortcomings in judicial independence and accountability for law enforcement erode Kyrgyzstan’s democratic progress," HRW said on its country page.
"Long-term human rights concerns have been heightened since President Sadyr Japarov won a snap election in January 2021. Several of his initial actions, including proposed constitutional changes, mark setbacks for human rights."