Kyrgyz ex-president released from prison, case to be reviewed

FILE PHOTO: Kyrgyz former President Almazbek Atambayev, who faces accusations including the organization of civil disorder, looks out from a defendants' cage during a court hearing in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan December 23, 2020. REUTERS/Vladimir Pirogov/File Photo

BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyzstan's former president, Almazbek Atambayev, has been released from prison for medical treatment abroad, an ally said on Tuesday, as his case was sent for a review.

Atambayev, who served as president between 2011 and 2017 and is so far the only Kyrgyz leader who has not been toppled by violent protests, was sentenced to 11 years in prison in 2020 in a case he described as politically motivated.