Persian Holiday Brings Respite To Kyrgyzstan's Only Female Prison

In prison for homicide, drug trafficking or theft, the women celebrate the Nowruz festival marking the arrival of spring.

Alyona and a dozen women are dancing in a small sunny garden, to applause from their fellow inmates in Kyrgyzstan's only female penal colony.

In prison for homicide, drug trafficking or theft, the women celebrate the Nowruz festival marking the arrival of spring.

Alyona, one of the best dancers, then swaps her red high heels for sneakers and starts feeding her 18-month-old baby who was born in jail.

"Of course it's a holiday, but for me it's still a day like any other: I can't be with the people I love," she tells AFP.