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Ousted Kyrgyz president, brother charged with mass murder

23 November 2010 19:23 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Ousted Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has been indicted on charges that he ordered troops to fire on demonstrators, killing 78 people, APA reports quoting Xinhua News Agency.

Bakiyev, his younger brother Zhanybek, and 27 other former officials have been charged, prosecutors said Tuesday, with "conspiracy to kill two and more persons, including minors, in a way that is dangerous for the lives of many people and with particular cruelty" and with "exceeding authority."

The former Kyrgyz leader, who is in self-imposed exile in Belarus, and the others were indicted for their alleged involvement in the deaths during April street protests that led to the fall of Bakiyev’s government.

Almost 90 people were thought to have been killed in that particular shooting, although the trial only relates to 78 deaths.

The defendants - of whom 22 were present - also include several close members of Bakiyev’s family, some of whom have still eluded capture.

The trial marks a decisive repudiation of the five-year rule of Bakiyev, which was marred by widespread discontent over stagnant living standards and rampant corruption.