The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic has provided a statement regarding the night riots involving foreigners that took place in the capital city on the night of May 18.
The statement was published on the official website of the foreign policy department. According to the Ministry, the country's police took "operational measures to detain individuals involved in the incident, both foreign citizens and citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic," as soon as they received information about the incident.
The Ministry clarified that the situation was completely under the control of the law enforcement agencies, ensuring the safety of citizens and public order. There were no reports of serious injuries among the participants. Approximately 15 citizens sought medical attention for examination, but the Ministry stated that they had not received any reports of injuries to foreign citizens.
The Ministry also called on representatives of the media and foreign diplomatic missions not to spread unreliable and unverified information.
It is likely that the foreigners involved, whose citizenship the Kyrgyzstan authorities did not disclose, were Pakistanis. Earlier, the unrest was commented on by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Shahbaz Sharif. On the night of May 18, the Bishkek police raised the entire staff on alert as around 300 young men decided to retaliate against foreigners after a massive brawl. The police set up cordons and tried to contain the crowd.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kyrgyzstan has reconstructed the full chronology of events.
