Kyrgyz authorities have deployed 100 additional police officers in the southern Ala-Buka district, where several protest rallies were staged this week.
Local villagers have been protesting the authorities' decision to place under house arrest, rather than jail, two local ethnic Uzbeks accused of severely beating their fellow villager – a Kyrgyz man.
Protesters claim the Uzbek men bribed the prosecutor.
Under protesters' pressure, authorities on September 26 arrested the two ethnic Uzbeks.
Earlier this week, angry protesters beat up the district judge and prosecutor.
On September 26, they demanded the resignation of the judge, prosecutor, and several other law-enforcement officials.
Southern Kyrgyzstan was the scene of bloody ethnic violence in June 2010 that killed hundreds of people – mostly ethnic Uzbeks – and left some 400,000 temporarily displaced.
Local villagers have been protesting the authorities' decision to place under house arrest, rather than jail, two local ethnic Uzbeks accused of severely beating their fellow villager – a Kyrgyz man.
Protesters claim the Uzbek men bribed the prosecutor.
Under protesters' pressure, authorities on September 26 arrested the two ethnic Uzbeks.
Earlier this week, angry protesters beat up the district judge and prosecutor.
On September 26, they demanded the resignation of the judge, prosecutor, and several other law-enforcement officials.
Southern Kyrgyzstan was the scene of bloody ethnic violence in June 2010 that killed hundreds of people – mostly ethnic Uzbeks – and left some 400,000 temporarily displaced.
