There has been talk lately that Kyrgyzstan’s first president, Askar Akaev, is looking to return to Kyrgyzstan. He has not been back there since April 2005 when he was ousted from power in Kyrgyzstan’s first revolution. Akaev has been living in Russia ever since.
Could Akaev, now 75 and facing multiple charges in Kyrgyzstan, really return? What would he have to do to make coming home palatable to the people of Kyrgyzstan? Or is that impossible?
RFE/RL's Media-Relations Manager Muhammad Tahir moderated the discussion on Akaev’s possible return.
Joining the discussion from Washington was former Kyrgyz Ambassador to the United States and longtime independent journalist Zamira Sydykova. From Northeastern University in Boston, Bakyt Beshimov, a former Kyrgyz ambassador to the OSCE and a former deputy in the country’s parliament, took part in the discussion. And I had a few comments of my own.
Your browser doesn’t support HTML5
Majlis Podcast: Could Kyrgyzstan’s First President Return Home?
Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes.