European Forum

Kyrgyz opposition leader Barktabasov arrested

During a demonstration in Bishkek, in support of ultranationalist Meken Tuu Party leader Urmat Barktabasov, 20 people and the leader himself were arrested on charges of plotting a coup. President Roza Otunbaeva ordered the security forces to disperse approximately 2,000 demonstrators and arrest them if necessary, arguing that some of the protestors were armed and preparing a coup d’etat. The arrests and the confrontation between demonstrators and the security forces was the biggest sign of unrest since ethnic clashes in June killed at least 350 and forced hundreds of thousands to flee their homes in the south of the country.

Barktabasov — who demands the post of Prime Minister — was charged in 2005 with trying to seize power before a presidential election that brought Kurmanbek Bakiev to power. He fled to neighbouring Kazakhstan, where he became an adviser to President Nursultan Nazarbaev, and returned to Kyrgyzstan following Bakiev’s ouster in April of this year. On 4 August Kyrgyz authorities issued an arrest warrant against Barktabasov for economic crimes. On the same day the opposition leader stated that the interim government is not able to cope with the ethnic violence and its consequences in the southern provinces of Osh and Jalal-Abad.

The latest unrest comes as politicians have been hardening their opposition to the government ahead of parliamentary elections set for autumn of this year. The interim government, which carried out a referendum in June to change the constitution, says the elections will form the basis for a new democratic parliamentary system. However, opposition has raised doubts about the government’s ability to provide security, especially in the south, where minority Uzbeks suffered most of the recent violence. President Otunbaeva has admitted that security forces committed abuses during ethnic clashes in June.

Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty