Bakiyev's son accused of instigating Kyrgyz riots
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The Kyrgyz interim government Thursday accused the son of deposed president Kurmanbek Bakiyev of instigating last week's deadly riots and confirmed a request to extradite him from Britain.
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Servicemen drive armoured vehicles in the city of Osh in southern Kyrgyzstan June 11, 2010. [Xinhua/Reuters Photo] |
The interim government believed that Maxim Bakiyev, 32, instigated the violence in the southern regions of Osh and Jalalabad, which is of a terrorist nature, interim deputy prime minister Azimbek Beknazarov told a press conference in Bishkek Thursday.
The interim government will request the British government to extradite Bakiyev, he said.
Beknazarov said London should give a nod to the extradition request as it is part of the anti-terror war. The Kyrgyz interim government has plans to close the U.S. goods transfer center in the country if the British government refuses to hand over Bakiyev, he said.
Meanwhile, the British government said on Thursday it would consider the Kyrgyz request even if there is no extradition treaty between the two countries, reports from London said.
The UK Border Agency, a unit of the Home Office which deals with immigration, also confirmed that Bakiyev arrived in Britain on June 13 "without necessary documentation."
"On June 13, a 32-year-old man was questioned by UK Border Agency staff after arriving at Farnborough airport without entering the UK. We are not able to comment further on this case," it said in a statement.
Bakiyev, nicknamed "the Prince" for his lust for luxury, also faces corruption charges relating to his former position as head of the agency that controls state assets and loans.
The deadly riots arising from clashes between ethnic Uzbeks and Kyrgyzs in southern Kyrgyzstan has now caused the death of at least 191 people, with 1,972 others injured.
Reports from the south Thursday said local health agencies and hospitals have now resumed normal operations.
The interim government, which ousted president Bakiyev in April, accused the former leader of deep corruption, saying he and his supporters were attempting to destabilize the situation in the south.
However, former president Bakiyev denied on Sunday his alleged involvement in the unrest in southern Kyrgyzstan, who also said the bloodshed must be stopped, and blamed the interim government for not "mobilizing necessary resources and localizing the conflict."
