Cash Offered for Kyrgyzstan Arrests

The Kyrgyzstan interim government is offering cash rewards for the arrest of senior members of the former administration.
Cash Offered for Kyrgyzstan Arrests
Ousted president of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev gestures during his press conference in Minsk on April 23. Bakiyev, who has taken refuge in Belarus, softened his defiance by admitting he would not be able to return to his country as head of state. (Viktor Drachev/AFP/Getty Images)
Jasper Fakkert
5/3/2010
Updated:
10/1/2015
<a><img src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/kyrg98629932.jpg" alt="Ousted president of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev gestures during his press conference in Minsk on April 23. Bakiyev, who has taken refuge in Belarus, softened his defiance by admitting he would not be able to return to his country as head of state. (Viktor Drachev/AFP/Getty Images)" title="Ousted president of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev gestures during his press conference in Minsk on April 23. Bakiyev, who has taken refuge in Belarus, softened his defiance by admitting he would not be able to return to his country as head of state. (Viktor Drachev/AFP/Getty Images)" width="320" class="size-medium wp-image-1820357"/></a>
Ousted president of Kyrgyzstan Kurmanbek Bakiyev gestures during his press conference in Minsk on April 23. Bakiyev, who has taken refuge in Belarus, softened his defiance by admitting he would not be able to return to his country as head of state. (Viktor Drachev/AFP/Getty Images)
The interim government in Kyrgyzstan is offering cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of senior members of the ousted former administration.

Former president, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, was driven out of the country following street protests on April 7, which left more than 80 people dead.

Having escaped to Belarus, Bakiyev claims he is still the legitimate president of the country. The opposition has charged him with responsibility for the deaths of the protesters, saying his administration ordered security forces to open fire on the group.

The sums offered by the interim government range from $20,000 to $100,000 according to the BBC.

Besides former senior officials, the interim government is also seeking several relatives of the ousted leader.

The situation in Kyrgyzstan remains unstable; last month supporters loyal to Bakiyev took to the streets and captured a government office in the southern city of Jalalabad, demanding his return.
Jasper Fakkert is the Editor-in-chief of the U.S. editions of The Epoch Times. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication Science and a Master's degree in Journalism. Twitter: @JasperFakkert