Kyrgyzstan foils alleged coup attempt, arrests plotters

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Kyrgyzstan claimed on Tuesday that a plot to seize power through mass protests and riots had been foiled and that everyone involved had been arrested prior to the plan's execution.

According to the State Committee for National Security (SCNS), a group of people was arrested on charges of preparing mass protests aimed at seizing power in the country.

The SCNS released a video statement showing men and women being detained in various locations. However, it did not reveal their identities.

The video shows their business cards, which include the names Alexandr Kovalyov, Anton Nazarenko, and Sergey Voitsinsky.

"In the course of work to ensure the security of the state and the protection of the constitutional order, the illegal activities of a group of persons who conducted clandestine preparations for holding mass protests and large-scale riots on the territory of the country with the subsequent violent seizure of power were identified and suppressed," the statement said.

On Monday, Kyrgyzstan's media reported that the SCNS carried out mass arrests without providing details on those arrested or the number of people taken into custody.