Coups and Convenience
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Kyrgyz authorities arrested more than 30 people Tuesday over allegations of attempting to oust President Sadyr Japarov, Euronews reported.
Officials said the group – made up of opposition members – was planning to seize power through riots and protests.
The detentions came a few days after European Council President Charles Michel visited Kyrgyzstan to attend the second summit of the leaders of Central Asia and the European Union, Agence France-Presse noted.
Michel met Japarov to mark 30 years of EU-Kyrgyzstan cooperation, saying the bloc is “strongly” committed to the region. The Kyrgyz leader pledged his “readiness to work hand in hand with the European Union.”
The Central Asian country remains important to the EU because of its ties to China and Russia.
Since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, it has seen three presidents resign over political crises sparked by allegations of corruption, nepotism, and disputed elections.
The incumbent Japarov has recently come under criticism for cracking down on the opposition and local media.
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