Second Day Of Siege On Kyrgyz Ex-President’s House Potentially Threatening To Send Country Into Civil War

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Kyrgyzstan, or officially the Kyrgyz Republic is a Central Asian country, which is completely landlocked. It is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west and southwest, Tajikistan to the southwest and China to the east. Its capital and largest city is Bishkek.

Since achieving independence in 1991, after the fall of the USSR, Kyrgyzstan state has officially been a unitary parliamentary republic, although it continues to endure ethnic conflict, revolts, economic turmoil, transitional governments and political conflict. Namely it has a streak of presidents not wishing to give up power. 

In 2011, then-Prime Minister Almazbek Atambayev, leader of the Social Democratic Party, became a new president of the country. He remained in office from 2011 to 2017. Atambayev introduced numerous reforms to the country and was the first president since 1991 to democratically surrendered power after losing elections.

Almazbek Atambayev

The final year of his presidency, however, was filled with numerous civil and criminal trials against journalists, activists and opposition politicians. In many of those trials, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Kyrgyzstan has often acted on Atambayev’s behalf to represents his interests. Following the 2017 elections, President became former prime minister Sooronbay Jeenbekov. Atambayev became the leader of the SDPK party, in opposition and entered the political arena once more, this time mostly to criticize his successor.

Since Spring 2018, Atambayev has mostly answered the criticism by Jeenbekov regarding wide-ranging government corruption that took place under the ex-president’s rule.

In June 2019, MPs voted to strip Atambayev of his presidential immunity and called for the pursuement of criminal charges on him. In response, Atambayev told reporters at his residemce in Koy-Tash that he would “stand to the end” against the parliament and that he is “not afraid of anything in this world.”

Since then he had remained in his residency, saying that he had weapons to fight back if police came to arrest him.

On July 3^rd, a protest in support of Atambayev took place, with approximately 1,000 protesters calling for charges against him to be dropped.

On July 24^th, he left on a two-day visit to Russia, with a delegation from the SDPK party and he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After returning, on August 7^th special forces stormed his residency to arrest him on corruption charges. As a result of the operation 36 people were wounded and 1 Special Forces soldier died. 15 of the wounded were Special Forces. The operation failed and Atambayev was not detained.

The GKNB (National Security Committee) stated that it did not use live ammunition during the assault. According to the State Committee, the special forces were equipped with rubber cartridges.

The location of Atambayev is now is still unknown. According to his adviser Farid Niyazov, who gave comments immediately after the failure of the special operation, Atambayev is in his residence.

Following the failed operation, President Sooronbay Jeenbekov said that Atembayev was only to be questioned as a witness, but now he was wanted for a serious crime.

The second assault was canceled yesterday in order to “prevent aggravation,” Jeenbekov said.

On August 8^th, security forces blocked the road to Koy-Tash, the city where Atembayev’s residence is located. Also, a police spokesman told a journalist that getting into the village is only possible on foot, even local residents cannot go in or leave by car.

MP Kurmankul Zulushev tried to find out why the plan of Atambayev’s house had not been studied, and why no case had yet been brought against him. “The fact that six commandos were captured is a shame for the state,” the deputy said.

After the botched operation, the head of the KGNB tried to deliver his resignation, which was refused by Jeenbekov.

“It’s easy to resign in hard times. Now we need not to resign, but to ensure security,” said Jeenbekov.

The situation in Kyrgyzstan is a precarious one, and the country has long been in a complicated political, economic and social situation. If the situation deteriorates further it is in a realistic danger of turning into a civil conflict and then, in the worst case scenario, into the civil war.

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• Kyrgyzstan Security Forces Stormed Residency Of Ex-President Almazbek Atambayev (Videos)

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