Kyrgyzstan

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 report by Cathal Sheerin identifies several challenges to free expression in Kyrgyzstan, including restrictions on minority linguistic rights and proposed legislation to criminalise the so-called “propaganda” of “non-traditional” relationships.

The restrictive “foreign agents” law, a blatantly discriminatory bill to criminalize “homosexual propaganda,” and a proposed restriction on nonprofit organizations would result in serious deterioration of the working climate for nonprofit groups and for Kyrgyzstan’s LGBT community.

On 16 April, the Kyrgyz parliament approved amendments to the criminal code imposing a custodial sentence for “spreading false information relating to a crime or offence” in the media at their second and third readings

On 26 March, Kyrgyzstan’s national parliament (Zhogorku Kenesh) published a draft bill that imposes criminal sanctions for spreading information about homosexuality or LGBT issues.

A draft “foreign agents” law would require domestic NGOs in Kyrgyzstan that receive foreign funding and engage in vaguely worded “political activities” to register as “foreign agents.”

Human Rights Watch and Front Line Defenders are calling for the immediate release of rights defender Azimjon Askarov, and urging the president to reject a problematic draft bill that would seriously restrict the work of civil society.

A number of unidentified assailants viciously beat Ulugbek Azimov and two of his family members, after an alleged traffic incident in central Bishkek. The investigation should lead to identification and prosecution of the assailants and should examine all possible motives for the assault, including Azimov’s human rights work, Human Rights Watch said.

Reporters Without Borders calls for an end to Kyrgyzstan’s 13-month-old blocking of Ferghana news website and urges the Kyrgyz judicial system to overturn last week’s court decision dismissing Ferghana’s attempt to get the blocking declared illegal.

Reporters Without Borders calls for an end to Kyrgyzstan’s 13-month-old blocking of Ferghana news website and urges the Kyrgyz judicial system to overturn last week’s court decision dismissing Ferghana’s attempt to get the blocking declared illegal.

Serious rights violations, including the harassment of human rights defenders, have highlighted the need for further reform in Kyrgyzstan, says Human Rights Watch in a letter to Germany’s leader on the eve of joint talks.

A CPJ delegation met with Muktar Djumaliyev yesterday to discuss the findings of a new report that documents the flawed judicial process that led to journalist Azimjon Askarov’s 2010 conviction.

Investigative reporter and human rights defender Azimjon Askarov had embarrassed officials time and again with his reporting on law enforcement abuses. When ethnic unrest broke out in June 2010, authorities struck back with a vengeance.

The country’s telecom provider says the order to block the independent news site comes from the prime minister himself.

The Bishkek-based court denied the independent journalist’s appeal of a lower court verdict sentencing him to jail for life.

Khalil Khudaiberdiyev says he learned of the government’s case against him from reports in the press when he was outside the country.