Former Kyrgyz president freed by protesters from detention center

Former Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambayev was released by protesters from a detention center of the State Committee for National Security on Tuesday, local media and Russia's TASS news agency reported.

Earlier, people protesting against the results of a parliamentary election in Kyrgyzstan broke into government and state security headquarters.

The protesters then freed Atambayev and a few other former senior officials.Atambayev, who was Kyrgyzstan's president from 2011 to 2017, was detained in August 2019 and charged with using force against law enforcement agents, organizing mass riots, a murder and an attempted murder, hostage taking, illegal release of a crime boss and other crimes, including corruption. He denied all the charges against him as politically motivated.

The former president, who was serving an11-year sentence, walked free after talks between the protesters and the administration of the State Committee for National Security, the TASS report said.Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov said he would meet the leaders of all parties who had taken part in Sunday's vote on Tuesday.

Opposition supporters hit the streets of the capital Bishkek the previous evening to demand the resignation of Jeenbekov and a re-run of the election marred by vote-buying accusations. Police used water cannon, stun grenades and tear gas to disperse the protesters.

Health authorities said at least 120 people were being treated for injuries, but there were no reports of deaths by late Monday.The preliminary count showed two pro-presidency parties, Birimdik and Mekenim Kyrgyzstan, who both favor deeper integration with Moscow, together taking around half of the vote.

(CGTN)