An attempt to violently seize power has been foiled in Kyrgyzstan, the State National Security Committee said in a statement on Friday.
"The State National Security Committee and the Interior Ministry have exposed a criminal group plotting to violently seize power in the country," the statement reads.
According to the committee, "solid evidence has been received proving the criminal activities of a group of people led by certain destructive political forces, including members of the Jogorku Kenesh (Supreme Council) and former high-ranking officials."
The suspects, whose names haven’t been made public yet, planned to organize mass protests in the country’s capital of Bishkek after the announcement of the outcome of the upcoming parliamentary election, triggering clashes with law enforcement officers. The State National Security Committee pointed out that the suspects intended to engage about 1,000 "aggressive young men" in the activity.
"In order to prevent the group’s criminal activity, on November 26, investigators from the State National Security Committee and the Interior Ministry conducted searches of the homes of the group’s members and their rented office, seizing firearms, ammunition and drugs, apart from documents proving that they were getting ready to commit a crime," the statement adds. Fifteen people have been apprehended.
Kyrgyzstan will hold its parliamentary election on November 28. Fifty-four parliament members will run on party lists and another 36 will run in single-mandate constituencies. A total of 21 political parties and nearly 300 single-mandate candidates are taking part in the vote.
