The judge who acquitted critics of the reservoir transfer to Uzbekistan has resigned.

The judge of the First of May District Court of Kyrgyzstan, Marat Sydykov, who on June 14 issued an acquittal for 22 defendants in the case concerning the Kempir-Abad Reservoir, has resigned voluntarily. This was reported by human rights activist Aziza Abdirasulova.

The case involved the arrests in October 2022 of activists and politicians who publicly opposed the transfer of the reservoir to Uzbekistan, and were accused of "preparing mass riots."