One Dead As Kyrgyz Forces Leave Ex-President's Compound, Hostages Freed
Source: rferl
KOI-TASH, Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyz forces withdrew from the village where former President Almazbek Atambaev resides early on August 8 after an unsuccessful attempt to arrest him in a raid that left one serviceman dead and 45 people hospitalized with injuries.
The decision was based on negotiations with Atambaev supporters who agreed to free all six servicemen whom they had taken hostage during the failed special forces operation on August 7.
Authorities moved on the former presidents compound to carry out a subpoena in an unspecified investigation, but were met with bloody resistance by Atambaevs supporters.
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After parliament on June 27 voted to strip immunity from prosecution for former presidents, the embattled Atambaev has spent most of his time at his residential compound and has publicly stated that he has weapons.
Read more: https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyz-police-storm-ex-president-s-house-near-bishkek/30097824.html
Video at link
Eugene
(61,937 posts)Source: The Guardian
Previous attempt to arrest Almazbek Atambayev led to fighting between soldiers and his supporters
Andrew Roth in Moscow
Thu 8 Aug 2019 15.20 BST First published on Thu 8 Aug 2019 10.32 BST
Police in Kyrgyzstan have detained the former president after violent clashes with his supporters, a day after a previous attempt to arrest him left one police officer dead and nearly 80 people injured.
The violence has raised the threat of fresh turmoil in the former Soviet country, which borders China and hosts a Russian military airbase. There have been two revolutions in Kyrgyzstan since 2005.
Almazbek Atambayev, who was in office from 2011-17, has accused his successor and one-time protege Sooronbai Jeenbekov of fabricating criminal charges against him to stifle criticism. He urged his supporters to demonstrate in the capital, Bishkek, on Thursday to demand Jeenbekovs resignation.
Footage from Atambayevs compound on the outskirts of Bishkek showed fighting between soldiers and his supporters on Wednesday evening. At one point, soldiers picked up rocks and threw them at protesters as fires raged. Photographs appeared to show several injured troops captured by Atambayevs supporters.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/08/kyrgyzstan-ex-president-almazbek-atambayev
rpannier
(24,333 posts)Got him on the third try... Good