MOSCOW

All criminal cases against Kyrgyzstan’s former President Askar Akayev have been dropped, the Prosecutor General's Office said on Friday.

Akayev was elected the first president of Kyrgyzstan in 1991 after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. He held the post until 2005, when he lost power in the so-called "tulip revolution" in March 2005.

In April 2005, several criminal cases were opened against him and his family members on a wide range of charges.

The Prosecutor General's Office said the last of the cases in connection with the Kumtor gold mine, was closed on Friday, and therefore, Akayev is cleared of all charges.