Ex-President of Kyrgyzstan Roza Otunbayeva considers the dismissal of the criminal case against the former Interior Minister Moldomusa Kongantiev unacceptable. She stated this to 24.kg news agency.
According to her, the dismissal of the criminal case against Moldomusa Kongantiev against the backdrop of the struggle announced by the President Sooronbai Jeenbekov for the rule of law actually led to the investigation of the events in Talas that became the catalyst for the April 2010 revolution.
«Those who closed the case of Kongantiev did him more harm than good. It is important for all of us, even after many years, to find out the reasons and the course of events in the first week of April 2010 in Talas. There is no doubt that there is a historical recording of those days in different documents. These questions were raised in different contexts when analyzing and referring to those historical events. Speaking of our revolutions, their difficult, tragic realities, one can not live according to the folk custom: it is better to forget the bad, let it remain in the past and not happen again. They can repeat because lessons have not been learned,» said Roza Otunbayeva.
The former head of state recalled the reasons for the events that led to April 7, 2010.
«The murder of Gennady Pavlyuk; the treacherous beating with the mutilation of the activist Syrgak Abdyldaev; the brutal murders of the politicians, primarily Medet Sadyrkulov; the arrests of personas non grata such as General Ismail Isakov; the flows of our journalists as refugees abroad — all this occurred against the backdrop of vigorous privatization processes, sales for a pittance and washing of dirty money in Kyrgyz banks, transfer of huge funds abroad, carried out by the gang of Maxim and his accomplices plus attempts by the presidential administration together with Ak Zhol party to amend the Constitution to legitimize the succession of presidential power from father to son — all these brings back when remembering those turbulent years. The authorities provoked the events of April 6 in Talas, like the events in the morning of April 7 near Forum in Bishkek with delivery of the weapons. The plan of the Bakiyevs regime was monstrous and was supposed to end with the complete destruction of the opposition,» she said.
Roza Otunbayeva noted that Moldomusa Kongantiev was listed in authoritative security forces, served faithfully and truthfully to the family clan during the Bakiyevs regime.
«When the preparation for the kurultai in Talas, scheduled for April 6, began, Bolot Sher was sent there. The authorities began to press the activists, harshly suppressed them, did not want to hold a dialogue. The entire region from the beginning of the month was furrowed and intimidated by the policemen in black masks, warning the people not go to the rallies in Talas. When the activists occupied the building of the regional administration, all the forces of power were directed to kick them out. Attacks on the building, brawling and dragging out of the people — all this was made by the police on the night of April 7 several times. The metropolitan authorities headed by Daniyar Usenov did not consider it necessary to talk with «the bandits» and » the renegades". Bishkek was informed that drunken and gowed loafers had gathered on the central square of the regional center, who were also being fed and handed out money. The speeches of the members of the headquarters in Bishkek under the Prime Minister, condemning and degrading the Talas people, were widely broadcast on KTRK," said Roza Otunbayeva.
«It was decided to send to Talas the Minister of Internal Affairs for taking measures, especially since he himself had called for tough urgent actions the day before. He arrived in the regional center on the morning of April 7 and immediately, without hearing the advice of the others, began to vigorously give orders to put everything in order. Clashes between the people became inevitable. Moreover, Bolot Sher was arrested, the release of whom was demanded and sought by the activists. The people were getting more and more excited. Messages from Ala-Too Square in Bishkek further heated the situation, the building of the regional police station was surrounded, the people, steamed up by the actions of the authorities and the deaths of young innocent people, killed by the bullets in Bishkek, attacked the officers, including Kongantiev. We know what happened next.
Photos of the beaten general flew around the world. The general, naturally, after that, could not been interrogated or a proper investigation could not been conducted because of serious injuries. All this was postponed until better times. However, as it turned out, time was lost.
Subjecting our courts to harsh criticism, leaving untouchable, out of public control the National Security Service, spreading hands about the permanently unreformed police — all this against the backdrop of another crisis of power in the country — our society left 2010 unattended. Nervously and with impatience, the public expects from the new authorities to react to the resonant cases initiated, but all of us have been interested and have gone headlong into the corruption epic of the Bishkek Heating and Power Plant,» the ex-president of the country said.
«In such circumstances, the criminal case against Kongantiev is closed silently without trial and investigation with confidence that the people will endure, will remain silent. I am convinced that the Kongantiev’s case is a thread to the roots and causes of the April 2010 revolution, the events in Talas as the people’s response to the intolerable state of affairs in the country, and flagrant violations of the law and the legality by the bankrupt regime. Undoubtedly, the case of Kongantiev should be investigated, and only a court decision will determine his fate,» Roza Otunbayeva summed up.
One can not quietly close a case at a specially selected vacation time, which has a critically important public sound and a place in the political history of the republic.
Roza Otunbayeva
Recall, criminal prosecution of Moldomusa Kongantiev was stopped because of the absence of crime in his actions. He was accused of abuse of office during the April 2010 events.
The day before, a member of the interim government, Azimbek Beknazarov, commented on the dismissal of the criminal case, calling it illegal. He also called on Roza Otunbayeva and Almazbek Atambayev to express their opinion.
