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Kyrgyz court rules to keep ex-president in custody

16 August 2019 11:40 (UTC +04:00)

The Bishkek City Court has ruled to keep Kyrgyzstan’s former President Almazbek Atambayev in custody, correspondent said from the office of the country’s State National Security Committee where a court hearing had been held, APA reports referring to TASS.

Bishkek’s Pervomaisky District Court earlier put Atambayev in custody until August 26.

"The Bishkek City Court has violated a number of legislative acts by making this decision, including those concerning guarantees for the ex-president," Atambayev’s lawyer Sergei Slesarev said.

Atambayev, stripped of immunity, is facing corruption charges. He was detained in a special operation on August 8. The operation lasted almost 24 hours as law enforcement officers faced strong resistance from Atambayev’s supporters defending his residence in the settlement of Koi-Tash. A special forces soldier was killed in the operation, while over 100 people suffered injuries. Kyrgyz President Sooronbay Jeenbekov said Atambayev had violated the country’s constitution by offering armed resistance to law enforcement agencies.

Atambayev served as Kyrgyz president in 2011-2017. He was the country’s first head of state to step down after his first term in office had expired. In the spring of 2018, Atambayev admitted that he had strong differences with incumbent President Sooronbay Jeenbekov.