Inmates have gone on a hunger strike at more than six prisons in Kyrgyzstan.
Relatives of the prisoners say Friday's protest is against poor conditions at the detention facilities.
But a top official with the country's State Penitentiary Service says the inmates are striking in support of organized crime boss Kamchi Kolbayev, who is being pursued by authorities.
The Washington-based policy institute Jamestown Foundation said last month that Kolbayev has become Kyrgyzstan's most influential criminal leader, able to allegedly traffic drugs and extort businesses without fear of arrest.