Ex-Kyrgyz President Atambayev Charged With Murder, Other High Crimes - Prosecution

Muhammad Irfan Published August 13, 2019 | 11:40 AM

BISHKEK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2019) Former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev, who surrendered to police last week after raids on his residence, has been charged with murder and other high crimes, the head of the Prosecutor General's Office's department for supervision of investigation and prosecution, Zamir Beishekeev, said on Tuesday.

"Atambayev has received notifications on a number of high crimes, such as organizing mass riots, murder, attempted murder, taking hostages and using force against a governmental official," Beishekeev said at a press conference.

Under the Kyrgyz legislation, Atambayev may face life imprisonment on these charges.

Atambayev, who served as the president of Kyrgyzstan from December 2011 to November 2017, was arrested on August 8 after a two-day-long storming operation at his residence, which resulted in violent clashes between law enforcers and his supporters and left one police officer killed and around 100 people injured. He will be held in a pre-trial detention facility belonging to the country's State Committee for National Security until August 26.