The draft law "...would block LGBTI organizations and others working on sexual and reproductive rights from operating legally, and restrict the media and people who seek to express their views publicly and peacefully."
This article was originally published on freedomhouse.org on 16 October 2014.
In response to Kyrgyzstan’s parliament giving preliminary approval to a bill that would criminalize any actions promoting “positive attitudes toward non-traditional forms of sexual relations” and impose up to a year’s imprisonment, Freedom House issued the following statement:
“The draft law is part of disturbing series of efforts in Kyrgyzstan to gag civil society and restrict fundamental freedoms under the guise of upholding ‘traditional values,'” said Chloe Schwenke, vice president of global programs at Freedom House. “The measure would block LGBTI organizations and others working on sexual and reproductive rights from operating legally, and restrict the media and people who seek to express their views publicly and peacefully. The law would further stigmatize LGBTI people, who already face violent assaults, including at the hands of authorities. Freedom House urges President Atambayev and parliament to uphold Kyrgyzstan’s constitutional human rights protections and international human rights obligations by preventing this bill from becoming law.”
Kyrgyzstan is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2014 report.
Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports democratic change, monitors the status of freedom around the world, and advocates for democracy and human rights.
