Belarus denies connections with Bakiyev's ally with Belarusian citizenship?
Paizulabek Rakhmanov was caught by Kyrgyzstan policemen in Kazakhstan.
It became known on September 5 that Belarusian citizen Pazyl Tashbayev was detained in Kazakhstan back in June. He is in custody in the pre-trial detention center in the city of Taraz. Euroradio called the Belarusian Embassy in Astana and they replied they did not deal with Tashbayev's release.
"We do not deal with this issue. We saw information in the media but it did not become the reason for us to start any activity in this regard", - Secretary of the Belarusian Embassy in Astana Aleh Marozau has told Euroradio.
Paizulabek Rakhmanov
Tashbayev’s real name is Paizulabek Rakhmanov. He held a high position in Kyrgyzstan during the presidency of Kurmanbek Bakiyev. Representatives of the Interior Ministry of the country tell that they were looking for him for more than a year.
"He is wanted on two articles: misuse of official position and forgery. He was in search for more than a year."
Rakhmanov faces up to 7 years with property confiscation.
Not surprisingly, he left Kyrgyzstan after the events of April 2010. Before the revolution, he dealt with "the state material reserve" of Kyrgyzstan. He distributed food and equipment across the country.
Bakiyev’s former "supply chief" was detained on June 15 at the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border during a joint security operation.
However, they couldn’t take him to Kyrgyzstan. Bakiyev's former colleague showed a Belarusian passport in the name of Pazyl Tashbayev to the policemen. It did not make him free, but caused problems to the police of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Now they are checking whether Rakhmanov became a citizen of Belarus. If the passport is real, then Minsk may demand extradition of Rakhmanov.
"Yes. Right now that is what we are checking. He actually had a Belarusian passport, issued in 2011, and in another name. "
A request was sent to Belarus soon after detention of Rakhmanov. There has been no answer yet. Not surprisingly, when you realize what happened to the Belarusian-Kyrgyz relations after Bakiyev’s moving to Minsk and the refusal to extradite him. According to some reports, the former head of Kyrgyzstan got a Belarusian passport back in 2010.
