Kyrgyzstan protesters seize gov’t house, free ex-leader Atambayev

Protesters seized Kyrgyzstan’s seat of government and freed a jailed former president on Tuesday after demonstrations against an election marred by vote-buying accusations spiralled into violent clashes with police. Opposition supporters hit the streets of the capital Bishkek the previous evening to demand the resignation of pro-Russian President Sooronbay Jeenbekov and a rerun of Sunday’s poll. Police used water cannon, stun grenades and tear gas to disperse protesters attempting to force their way through the gates of the building that houses the former Soviet republic’s parliament and presidential offices. Photos published by Radio Free Europe later showed protesters strolling around the building unhindered. A crowd of about 2,000 people then forced their way into the nearby National Security Committee building, where former President Almazbek Atambayev was jailed. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">