Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8
Trend:
Former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev promised journalists on Aug. 8 that his supporters will release the special forces soldiers involved in the operation to detain him and taken hostage after the assault attempt, Trend reports via RIA Novosti.
"These are someone's children and I understand that. We will definitely let them go. We released most of them yesterday," the ex-president said.
On Aug. 7 evening, special forces groups in Kyrgyzstan began an operation to detain ex-president Almazbek Atambayev at his residence in the village of Koy-Tash, located 20 kilometers from Bishkek. They used special equipment against supporters of the former leader. The situation turned violent as Atambayev's supporters repulsed the assault, preventing the ex-president from being captured. As a result, 52 people, including a local journalist, were injured. One special forces member was killed.
The ex-president’s supporters held hostage the special forces captured during the assault on Atambayev’s house. Earlier, at the headquarters of the former head of state, they reported that the state of the hostages was normal, they were given medical assistance and they are not subjected to any violence.
The leader of the largest parliamentary party of social democrats in Kyrgyzstan, Atambayev, transferred power to his successor and closest ally Sooronbai Jeenbekov in 2017 as a result of the presidential election.
However, shortly afterwards criminal proceedings were instituted against members of the ex-president’s team. Atambayev himself was stripped of his ex-president status and is suspected of a number of crimes. The former head of state has repeatedly stated that all charges against his associates are political in nature.