Court acquits three opposition lawmakers
BISHKEK. June 17 (Interfax) - The Bishkek city court has acquitted three lawmakers of the opposition Ata-Zhurt (Fatherland) faction, who were earlier accused of issuing calls for regime change and attempting a coup.
The court announced its final ruling after granting a plea, filed by lawmakers Kamchybek Tashiyev, Sadyr Zhaparov and Talant Mamytov's defense attorneys, but it fined all three for the damage done during a rally in October 2012.
Tashiyev, Zhaparov and Mamytov had been sentenced to 18 months in jail on March 28 'for attempting a coup after a rally was held to demand the nationalization of the Kumtor gold field on October 3 2012 and for their attempt to break into the Kyrgyz government headquarters."
Prosecutors had insisted that hey be sentenced to ten years each.