Bakiyev's Belarusian citizenship is not an argument

The authorities of Kyrgyzstan insist on the extradition of former president Kurmanbek Bakiyev from Belarus.

“The Parliament of Kyrgyzstan is ready to provide assistance to the law-enforcement agencies to extradite Kurmanbek Bakiyev from Belarus,” speaker of the parliament Asylbek Zheenbekov said at a press conference.

“Leaders of the law enforcement agencies repeatedly have sent the same request but official Minsk refused, arguing that now the Bakiyevs are the citizens of Belarus. But this is not an argument. Bakiyev has committed a crime when he was a citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic, and he has to answer in law,” 24kg news agency cites the speaker.

Deposed president of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev and his brother Zhanybek Bakiyev were put on the CIS wanted list and Interpol's wanted list. The former Kyrgyz ruler and his family have been hiding in Belarus since April 2010. Kurmanbek Bakiyev received a Belarusian passport in August 2010. Last year, he bought a house on the outskirts of Minsk for $2 million. The Belarusian authorities repeatedly ignored extradition requests for Bakiyev. Kurmanbek Bakiyev was tried in absentia in February 2013 and sentenced to 24 years in prison for abuse of power.

Photo: RIA Novosti