Hundreds of protestors march on southern capital of Kyrgyzstan

About 700 protestors are marching from the town of Dzhalal-Abad towards the largest city in the south of Kyrgyzstan - Osha. The press service of the country's Interior Ministry reported on Friday that the demonstrators are now near the town of Uzgen, about 100km away from Osha.

The average age of the protestors is about 20.

According to law-enforcement agencies, the demonstrators organised a rally in the centre of a settlement in the center of Barpy, Suzak district, in the Dzhalal-Abad region. The main road between the two regional centres of Osha and Dzhalal-Abad has been closed to traffic.

Mass protests in the south of the republic have entered their fourth month. The protestors are demanding that Legislative Assembly deputy Azimbek Beknazarov be completely vindicated of charges that he covered up a serious crime while working as a prosecutor's office investigator eight years ago. Beknazarov has been convicted of the crime and sentenced to a year in prison.