Kyrgyz media outlets say former Kyrgyz president Almazbek Atambayev is on hunger strike to protest bad prison conditions.

Atambayev’s defense lawyer, Zami Zhooshev told 24.rg on October 26 that Almazbek Atambayev has been transported to detention center 1 in Bishkek.

According to him, the former head of state is held in a basement where prisoners sentenced to death were previously kept.

“The heating was turned on in this cell only today.  The sewerage system does not work; the doors are constantly open.  Almazbek Atambayev went on a hunger strike,” Zamir Zhooshev said yesterday.

Almazbek Atambayev was sentenced to 11 years in prison.  He was kept in the pretrial detention center of the State Committee for National Security.  He was released during the riots on the night of October 6. On October 9, he went to a rally on Ala-Too Square, and was repeatedly detained the next day.