Russian politologist: Violence in Kyrgyzstan started after visit of Belarusian experts

A Belarusian delegation visited Kyrgyzstan ahead of riots in Osh and Jalalabad that resulted in killing of 178 people.

“There’s information that a number of Belarusian politicians were paying an unofficial visit to Kyrgyzstan when the unrest burst out,” Russian politologist Yuri Solozobov told REGNUM news agency on June 15. The expert however stressed that we shouldn’t speak about direct involvement of official Minsk into the violence in the south of Kyrgyzstan.

We remind that ousted Kyrgyz ruler Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who stays in Belarus under personal protection of Alyaksandr Lukashenka, said on June 14 he had no relation to unrest and riot in the south of the country. It became known on June 15 that Belarus refuses to extradite Bakiyev to the Kyrgyz authorities.

“The republic faced turmoil after some representatives of Belarus close to official Minsk had visited the country,” Solozobov said.