BISHKEK. Kyrgyz Military court today started hearing against seven officials accused in connection with the Aksy events on March 17-18, 2002, when police shot dead five participants of a peaceful protest gathering. The hearing is taking place in the town of Maily-Suu. A representative of the Prosecutor General said that the former prosecutor of the Jalal-Abad region, Zootbek Kudaibergenov, and the former head of the regional police, Kubanychbek Tokobayev, are being accused under clause 305 of the Criminal Code, the former Aksy district prosecutor, Abdykalyk Kaldarov, - under clauses 148 and 305, the other accused people (D. Kuluev, A. Rakishev and A. Kalbayev) - under clause 148 of the Code. The defendants said they were innocent and the accusations were baseless. Zootbek Kudaibergenov said that in the past he started a criminal case against the opposition MP, Azimbek Beknazarov, according to the laws, that is why he considers the case against himself politically motivated. Recently President Askar Akayev criticized the Prosecutor General's office for being slow in dealing with the investigation of the Aksy events.