Photo credit: RFE/RL
In Kyrgyzstan, the security and military forces came to the premises of the TV channel “Aprel” owned by the arrested former president Almazbek Atambayev in Bishkek to arrest his building and the property, as
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.
As employees of the Russian-language channel "Aprel" reported it in live program on social networks. They asked everyone to quit the premises, and the “Forum” building where the channel has its office, was sealed.
The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan confirmed that the property of the “Aprel” TV channel and of “Mediaforum” joint stock company was seized by court decision, as to
“Current Time”, RFE/RL’s and Voice of America’s project.
As Dmitry Lozhnikov, the General Director of the TV channel, told, since last three days the broadcast of the channel was switched off all over Kyrgyzstan under various excuses in different places.
He promised the channel is to continue functionning after the arrest of his office.
Both the channel and the building of JSC “Mediaforum” belong to Almazbek Atambayev, the former president of Kyrgyzstan, who was detained the day before, on August 8, as a result of a prolonged special operation of security forces causing death of one special forces officer and injuries to nearly one hundred men. The reason was Atambayev's three-time ignorance of subpoenas for interrogation. Afterwards, Atambayev has been detained on corruption charges. The investigators probe as well his eventual involvement in a number of criminal cases.
Atambayev, refusing to come to come in for an interview, referred to the former President's immunity status in Kyrgyzstan. The parliament has deprived him of immunity a few months ago, but he finds that decision illegal and politically motivated.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
