Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 9
Trend:
Seyitbek Atambayev, the son of the detained ex-president of Kyrgyzstan Almazbek Atambayev, has been summoned for questioning by the Kyrgyz Ministry of Internal Affairs, Trend reports referring to RIA Novosti.
“As far as I know, he’s under interrogation right now. I don’t know for sure as to which particular case he is being questioned for,” Seyitbek’s lawyer said.
Former Kyrgyz President Atambayev surrendered to security officials on the evening of August 8. This was followed by the arrests and interrogations of his closest supporters a day after, including former head of the presidential administration Farid Niyazov, Atambayev’s adviser Kunduz Joldubayeva, and deputies Irina Karamushkina and Asel Koduranova.
On the evening of August 7, 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. Detaining the ex-president proved unsuccessful. Atambayev’s supporters took six members of the special services personnel hostage.
Clashes between Atambayev's supporters and the security forces resumed the next day. The number of injured reached 98 people, and one commando was killed.
Atambayev, the leader of the largest parliamentary party of social democrats in Kyrgyzstan, transferred power to his successor and closest ally Sooronbay 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.