Former Kyrgyz president detained until August 26

By Nezir Aliyev

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (AA) – A court in Kyrgyzstan’s capital has ordered that former President Almazbek Atambayev be held in custody until Aug. 26, its spokesman said Friday.

Pervomaisky District Court has also ordered some of Atambayev’s assets to be seized following his arrest for refusing to obey a subpoena in an unspecified criminal probe.

They consist of the Media Forum building in Bishkek along with the Aprel TV Channel it houses.

Security forces arrested Atambayev on Thursday in a second attempt following a failed overnight raid on his home.

They stormed Atambayev’s residence, which is located in the village of Koi-Tash, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Bishkek.

The Interior Ministry announced that Atambayev has been taken to the investigations department.

Hundreds of Atambayev’s supporters attempted to defend him prior to his arrest and a wide range of security measures were taken around his residence.

Six security guards who were taken hostage in Wednesday’s operation were released, according to eyewitnesses.

Wednesday's raid also left one police officer dead.

Special forces withdrew from the village early Thursday after failing to arrest Atambayev.

Some 100 people were wounded in clashes between security forces and Atambayev’s supporters, who had been guarding his residence for a month and a half.

Following Wednesday’s botched raid, Kyrgyzstan’s current President Sooronbay Jeenbekov returned to Bishkek, cutting his vacation short.

Jeenbekov convened an extraordinary general assembly which was chaired by Parliament Speaker Dastan Jumabekov.

Refuting the idea that Atambayev and he had personal problems, Jeenbekov said: "This is not a debate of two people. This is a legal struggle against a person who gives more importance to his personal interests than the interests of the state.”

Atambayev, who served as president from 2011 to 2017, has been accused of corruption, which he denies. The Kyrgyz parliament stripped him of immunity in June.

Despite being relatively stable, Kyrgyzstan has experienced periods of volatility since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

In 2005 and 2010, the then-presidents were deposed in violent protests that left hundreds dead.

Most of Kyrgyzstan’s six million people are Turkic-speaking Muslims and the north and south of the country are divided by wealth and ethnic tensions.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz