Almazbek Atambayev, the former president of Kyrgyzstan, has been arrested by the country’s security forces. There has been a lot of unrest in the country in recent days due to controversial parliamentary elections that took place there last Sunday.
Atambayev escaped from prison with the help of his supporters just a few days ago but has now been re-arrested. His supporters have sharply criticized the results of last Sunday’s parliamentary elections, and the country’s political situation has been described as a state of emergency.
The Kyrgyz parliament today, Saturday, appointed the nationalist politician Sadyr Japarov as the new Prime Minister of the country after his predecessor resigned. Japarov is among a number of well-known politicians who were released this week following heavy protests in the country. He was imprisoned for depriving a public official in 2013.
Protests erupted in the country after protesters took to the streets of Bishkek, the country’s capital, and broke into public buildings on Tuesday. Protesters are demanding the resignation of Russian-backed President Sooronbay Jeenbekov.
Jeenbekov has declared that he will resign when a new government is formed and laws and regulations are enforced. Until then, the president has declared a state of emergency and it is believed that clashes broke out between protesters and police on Friday. More than 1,200 people have been injured in the protests and at least one has died.
A Kyrgyz soldier at a checkpoint outside Bishkek, the country’s capital.AP Photo / Vladimir Voronin
Military checkpoints have been set up around the capital and armed military vehicles have been seen traveling around the capital. A curfew has also been imposed and restrictions are in place on who can travel to and from the capital.
Then the president has fired various high-ranking men within the military who are either supporters of his opponents or did not react when the opposition announced on Tuesday that it intended to seize power. Military checkpoints have been set up around the capital and armed military vehicles have been seen traveling around the capital.
