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First Kyrgyz President Seeks Restoration Of Status

The first president of Kyrgyzstan, Askar Akaev, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 2022.
The first president of Kyrgyzstan, Askar Akaev, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 2022.

Kyrgyzstan's first president, Askar Akaev, has filed a request with the Kyrgyz parliament to have his status as a former president restored, lawmaker Cholpon Sultanbekova said on September 5. Akaev was stripped of the status in 2010, five years after he fled to Moscow following anti-government protests. Akaev was facing corruption charges at the time. In 2023, all charges against Akaev were dropped after the statute of limitations expired. Akaev was president from 1990 to 2005. After he left Kyrgyzstan, he avoided returning there for many years. In 2021, he made several short visits to Bishkek to be questioned by the State Committee for National Security. To read the original story from RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service, click here.

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    RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service

    RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service is an award-winning, multimedia source of independent news and informed debate, covering major stories and underreported topics, including women, minority rights, high-level corruption, and religious radicalism.

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