Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 8
Trend:
Security forces have launched a second assault at the residence of ex-President of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev, Trend reports referring to RIA Novosti.
“About 200 police officers proceeded to storm [the residence] once again. They use light-noise grenades. Supporters [of Atambayev] repel them, and there are about 400 of them. They have no weapons, only stones and sticks,” the source said.
As specified in the headquarters, Atambayev himself is still in his residence, surrounded by guards and supporters.
On the evening of August 8, special services of Kyrgyzstan launched an operation to detain ex-president Atambayev at his residence in the village of Koy-Tash located in Kyrgyzstan’s Chuy Region, 20 kilometers from the Kyrgyz capital of Bishkek. Atambayev's supporters responded by opening fire. As a result, 52 people, including a local journalist, were injured, and one commando was killed. It was not possible to detain the ex-president.
Atambayev, the leader of the largest parliamentary party of social democrats in Kyrgyzstan, transferred power to his successor and closest ally Sooronbai Jeenbekov in 2017 after the presidential elections. However, criminal proceedings were instituted against members of the ex-president’s team shortly afterwards. Atambayev has been stripped of his ex-president status and is suspected of a series of crimes. The former head of state has repeatedly stated that all charges against his associates are political in nature.