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Kyrgyzstan prolongs detention of opposition leader

Xinhua, February 28, 2017 Adjust font size:

A Kyrgyz court has ordered to detain opposition leader Omurbek Tekebayev for two months on charges of corruption, the press service of the State Committee for National Security said Tuesday.

Tekebayev, leader of oppositional Ata Meken faction, was arrested early Sunday at Manas International Airport upon his return from Istanbul, Turkey, and was taken into custody for 48 hours. The court on Monday ordered a two-month detention pending an official investigation.

On Saturday, the Public Prosecutor's Office initiated a criminal case against Tekebayev. He was charged with taking a bribe of 1 million U.S. dollars from a Russian investor in 2010 when he was a member of the Kyrgyz interim government.

On the day of Tekebayev's arrest, there were protests along the highway from Manas International Airport to Bishkek, the capital city of Kyrgyzstan, and in front of the State Committee for National Security.

On Monday, more than 500 supporters of Tekebayev gathered in downtown Bishkek, demanding his release. Endi