Kyrgyz lawmakers eager to strip former President Akayev's son of parliamentary immunity

The Kyrgyz legislature voted Monday to strip Aidar Akayev, the son of former President Askar Akayev, of his parliamentary immunity.

The prosecutor general's office has launched two criminal investigations against the younger Akayev, accusing him of extortion and money-laundering.

Askar Akayev was ousted in a popular uprising earlier this year, and he and his family fled to Russia. They have been accused of amassing extensive business holdings through corruption.

Aidar Akayev's lawyer Maxim Maximovich said his client had not returned to Kyrgyzstan out of fears for his safety but Chief Prosecutor Azimbek Beknazarov called the allegation "absurd. "It is politics," he said.

The parliament voted 53-6 to end Aidar Akayev's parliamentary immunity, opening the way for prosecution, the AP reports.