Self-proclaimed Kyrgyz ‘God’ found dead in prison

A controversial Kyrgyz preacher and self-proclaimed God, arrested on charges of stirring religious discord, was found dead on Friday, authorities said.

The Penal Service Administration said Arstanbek Abdyldayev, known as Arstan Alay, committed suicide by hanging himself in a prison colony where he had been transferred a few days earlier.

The service said that Abdyldayev was earlier diagnosed with “an undefined identity disorder and hallucinations”. It added that the body carried no signs of physical harm, but the final cause of death will be determined following an autopsy.

Abdyldayev’s lawyer Kaysyn Abakirov blamed his death on “illegal actions by the law-enforcement bodies, court and prison administration” and called for “all those responsible” to be brought to account.

Abakirov said that his client’s transfer to the colony from the detention centre while he was still under investigation was illegal.

“This [death] happened despite my repeated requests to the detention centre administration to ensure his safety,” he said in a statement.

Abdyldayev was arrested in December by the security service on charges of stirring religious hatred, “as part of urgent measures to normalise the religious situation” in the country.

“He deems himself ‘a new God’ or ‘saviour’, and considers other religions, faiths and views inferior, weak and invalid delusions,” the service said at the time.

Abdyldayev was known for making a number of controversial statements, including that he was a new God, who had caused the coronavirus pandemic. He also claimed that Putin was a biological robot.

In one of his statements, Abdyldayev claimed that Kyrgyzstan would be the world’s “information centre” in the 21stcentury because “look what is going on in the West – protests, prime ministers and presidents are leaving their posts”.

In 2017 and 2021 Abdyldayev ran for the presidency.

Opposition journalist Leyla Saralayeva said she was “shocked” by the news of Abdyldayev’s death and alleged that the government was behind it.

“Whatever strange ideas he might have voiced, there was no reason to put him in jail and kill him there,” she said.

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