BISHKEK -- Two Kyrgyz opposition leaders have been detained as part of an investigation into an alleged plan to overthrow the government.
The chief editor of the Bishkek-based Respublika newspaper, Zamira Sydykova, told RFE/RL that the detentions took place on March 24.
She said several men who introduced themselves as officers of Kyrgyz State Committee for National Security (UKMK) took away the leader of the Egemen (Sovereign) Kyrgyzstan party, Bektur Asanov, and the leader of the Chyndyk (Truth) party, Kubanychbek Kadyrov, from her office.
A UKMK spokesman later said two individuals, identified as B.A. and K.K., had been brought to investigators regarding a probe launched into two audio recordings that circulated on the Internet this week.
The audio recordings apparently featured the voices of Asanov, Kadyrov, and other opposition politicians discussing ways to seize power in Kyrgyzstan.
