BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, April 27 (UPI) -- Kyrgyzstan's ex-president has been charged for his role in the deaths of anti-government protesters, an official with the interim government said Tuesday.
The official said charges were filed against Kumanbek Bakiyev for "exceeding his authority and also for the mass murder of peaceful citizens," The New York Times reported Tuesday.
Bakiyev fled the country's capital of Bishkek during the violence and is in Belarus where President Aleksandr Lukashenko has guaranteed his security. Police and presidential guards opened fire on thousands of demonstrators April 7, killing at least 85 people.
Bakiyev said his security forces opened fire after protesters began shooting at his government offices in Bishkek. Dozens of police officers were also injured in the violence.
The new Kyrgyz government has said it would file charges against members of the Bakiyev government, including members of the former president's family.
Russia already has extradited Kyrgyzstan's former interior minister, who was recovering in Moscow after being beaten in the protests. The provisional government said Monday the former minister also would be charged in the deaths of the demonstrators.
