Bishkek, Jan. 9, 2022. / Kabar /. A protest action was held today in Bishkek, near the Kazakh embassy in support of Kyrgyz citizen Vikram Ruzakhunov, the well-known jazz musician, who was detained in Kazakhstan and accused of taking part in riots.
About 50 supporters, colleagues, friends and concerned citizens gathered near the embassy.
The participants asked the authorities of Kazakhstan to stop information manipulation, as well as to involve the Kyrgyz people in the internal affairs of the state. “Manipulation against Vikram Ruzakhunov is just the beginning. In his place may be any of the migrants, guests who have gone to see friends,” the protesters noted.
A friend of the detained Kyrgyzstani Denis Burlakov said that Vikram Ruzakhunov left for Kazakhstan on Jan. 2, 2022 to work under a contract in Almaty. “Later, as the situation in the neighboring country worsened, Vikram has stopped getting in touch. We are sure that he would not have taken part in the rally for $ 200, which he could easily earn at home,” he said.
In turn, singer Yulia Rutskaya indicated that she personally knew Vikram Ruzakhunov and knew him as a well-mannered and adequate person.
“He did not live in poverty. He has two personal cars in Bishkek, an apartment and a dacha. Why would he go to Almaty because of 90 thousand tenge? On the video distributed by the Kazakh media, it is obvious that he is beaten and can barely speak,” the singer said.
The participants prepared a letter with a request to return the musician to his homeland and stop information manipulation.
Head of the State Committee for National Security of Kyrgyzstan Kamchybek Tashiev, who also came to the rally, said that Kyrgyz jazzman Vikram Ruzakhunov is not a terrorist, as presented by the Kazakh media.
“He is a respectable person and he is not a terrorist. We were touched by what the mass media of Kazakhstan write. We sent all the necessary information there. He just might have been at the wrong time and in the wrong place. The information of the state TV channels of Kazakhstan is incorrect. Neighbors need to change the rhetoric of the investigation. It is wrong to accuse our citizens of terrorism,” Tashiev said.
Earlier the media of Kazakhstan showed a video footage in which the detainee claims that he flew from Kyrgyzstan to participate in the riots saying that unknown people offered him to participate in the riots for 90 thousand tenge. The detainee said that on January 2 he was already in Almaty, after he was taken to an apartment, where there were also citizens of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan (about ten people).
Kyrgyzstanis recognized the man in the video; he turned out to be a citizen of the Kyrgyz Republic, Vikram Ruzakhunov. He is a pianist, arranger and executive director of the Jazz Bishkek Spring Festival.
Vicram Ruzakhunov, the well-known jazz musician, was detained and accused of taking part in riots in Kazakhstan,. He was invited for concerts in Almaty before New Year, flying to the neighboring republic on January 2.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, with reference to the relatives of the musician, reported that he was often on tours in Almaty and on the eve of the new year was invited there to hold concert programs.
“Vikram Ruzakhunov has no relatives in Kazakhstan and traveled only by invitation to hold concert programs, as well as to participate in music festivals in Kazakhstan and the CIS countries," the Ministry of Internal Affairs said assuring that appropriate measures are being taken to clarify all the circumstances of the arrest of this citizen.
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