The Bishkek City Court on 11 October upheld the guilty verdict it handed down in May to former Vice President Feliks Kulov, but reduced his 10-year sentence by one third, RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service reported. Police frog marched Kulov out of the courtroom as his supporters outside threw stones at the building. Some 150 supporters temporarily blocked traffic at a crossroads in the city center to protest the court ruling. On 12 October, Kulov's Ar-Namys Party and the Democratic Movement of Kyrgyzstan issued separate statements condemning the court ruling and claiming that the embezzlement charges brought against Kulov were fabricated. The Committee for Kulov's Defense issued a similar statement on 14 October saying the court ruling proves that the judiciary is wholly controlled by President Askar Akaev and the Kyrgyz government. It called on opposition politicians to quit the Constitutional Council established by Akaev for drafting amendments to the constitution. (RFE/RL)