By IANS/RIA Novosti,
Bishkek: At least 17 people were killed and more than 140 injured in the Kyrgyz capital Wednesday as protesters clashed with the police to demand the release of their detained leaders, officials said.
Most of the victims reportedly died of gunshot wounds.
Protesters were demanding the release of opposition leaders detained Tuesday and Wednesday by the authorities.
President Kurmanbek Bakiyev has declared a state of emergency in Bishkek and the Kyrgyz parliament has urged the protesters to end the protest.
A human rights activist said most of the opposition leaders detained in the town of Talas in northwestern Kyrgyzstan have been released.
Broadcasting at the state-run KTR television in Bishkek was interrupted for about an hour after protesters seized the building. They set on fire the attorney general’s office in Bishkek.
Some media reports said protesters have also seized government buildings in Chuysk, Narynsk and Issyk-Kul regions. Witnesses said some police officers were injured in clashes after protesters seized a Chuysk regional government building in Tokmok.
Police estimated there were several thousand protesters on the streets in the capital.
Almazbek Atambayev, former prime minister and leader of the Social Democratic Party, was detained at his home Tuesday. A journalist and a cameraman, who were interviewing the politician when police arrived, were also detained. They were later released.
Meanwhile, Russia has called on the Kyrgyz authorities to avoid violence.
“As we are interested in preserving political stability in a country that is friendly to us, we consider it important to resolve the issues raised by the current situation by legal means,” Russian foreign ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said.
Major political unrest started in Kyrgyzstan last month, with opposition parties accusing the government of tightening its grip on power while failing to bring stability and economic growth.
Kyrgyzstan, where Russia and the US have military bases, has been unstable since Bakiyev came to power, toppling his long-serving predecessor Askar Akayev, in 2005.