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Kyrgyz Republic

Last updated: August 24, 2025

Recent Developments

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Introduction

The civil society sector in the Kyrgyz Republic is one of the strongest in Central Asia. Over 21,000 civil society organizations (CSOs) are registered in the country, although estimates indicate that only around one-third of them are operational. These organizations work across a wide range of areas, including human rights, support for vulnerable groups, culture and the arts, health, environmental protection, youth and sports, education, and advocacy.

CSOs register as noncommercial organizations (NCOs) under a civil law framework with roots in the Soviet system, though many laws have been modernized since the late 1990s. The most common legal forms include public associations, foundations, institutions, associations of legal entities, and community-based organizations.

Although the law broadly guarantees freedom of association, the sustainability and effectiveness of Kyrgyzstan’s civil society remain under pressure. The sector is heavily dependent on international funding, while local philanthropy is limited and tax incentives for charitable giving are weak. Recent legal and regulatory changes—including the elimination of public councils, increased reporting requirements, and new rules for organizations receiving foreign funding—have further constrained the space for NCO operations and public participation. Likewise, the freedoms of assembly and expression, though legally protected, are increasingly curtailed by restrictive regulations, censorship measures, and bans on certain gatherings.

This Civic Freedom Monitor (CFM) country note was made possible through the research conducted by ICNL and the ICNL, LLC Legal Advisor based in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Civic Freedoms at a Glance

Organizational FormsNoncommercial Organizations and Community-Based Organizations
Registration BodyNoncommercial Organizations: Ministry of Justice
Community-Based Organizations: Local governments
Approximate NumberNoncommercial Organizations: 23,707 (about 1/3 operational)
Community-Based Organizations: No data available
Barriers to FormationNoncommercial Organizations: No legal barriers
Community-Based Organizations: Ten founding members required
Barriers to OperationsNoncommercial Organizations: A charitable organization cannot conduct economic activities unless the activities “correspond” to its statutory goals.
NCOs are subject to dissolution if they conduct an activity that violates the law, including engaging in an activity without a license where a license is required, or failing to submit reports to the tax authority within one year.
State authorities may interfere in an organization’s internal affairs; force NCOs that receive foreign funding and engage in “political activity” to complete a special “foreign representative” registration; and require INGOs to work in Kyrgyzstan through a registered branch/representative office.
Community-Based Organizations: No legal barriers
Barriers to ResourcesA charitable organization cannot conduct economic activities unless the activities “correspond” to its statutory goals.
Barriers to ExpressionIndividuals have the right to demand the removal of online content about themselves that they believe to be false. If the website owner who hosts the allegedly false information does not comply within 24 hours, they risk having their webpage suspended for up to two months (or indefinitely if the content is still not removed), and they may also be liable for damages in court.
Barriers to AssemblyProhibitions on blocking roads or traffic and on assemblies near certain public institutions.

This section provides a brief overview of the Kyrgyz Republic’s legal framework for the promotion and protection of civic freedoms. Click a subheading for more, or click here to expand all subheadings.

This section provides an in-depth assessment of the Kyrgyz Republic’s legal environment for civic freedoms, including the barriers to the exercise of the freedoms of association (formation, operations, resources), expression, and peaceful assembly. Click a subheading for more, or click here to expand all subheadings.

ORGANIZATIONAL FORMS

Kyrgyzstan recognizes at least 15 distinct organizational forms for noncommercial organizations (NCOs), including public associations, foundations, institutions, non-profit cooperatives, and community-based organizations. The Civil Code and the Law on Noncommercial Organizations (NCO Law) establish the primary legal framework for NCOs.

Article 2 of the NCO Law defines an NCO as “a voluntary, self-sustained organization created by individuals and (or) legal entities on the basis of community of interests for implementing spiritual and other non-material needs in the interests of its members and (or) the whole society, where the deriving a profit is not a major objective, and the obtained profit is not distributed among members, founders and employees.”

The five most common types of NCOs that can be recognized as CSOs are:

Community-Based Organization – A local-level membership organization representing residents of a specific street, block, or other defined territorial unit in a village or city, formed to jointly address issues of local importance.

Public Association – A voluntary membership organization uniting individuals with common interests in meeting spiritual or other non-material needs. Its highest governing body is the general meeting of members, which elects the organization’s executive body (such as a governing board or directorate). Public associations may operate in diverse fields, including environmental protection, social support of the disabled, education, national issues, culture, and the arts.

Foundation – Anon-membership organization established by individuals and/or legal entities through voluntary contributions or created via a will or testament. Foundations pursue social, charitable, cultural, educational, or other public benefit goals. In contrast to public associations, foundations have no members; their creation is based on the voluntary transfer of property to achieve stated purposes.

Institution -An organization created by an owner to perform managerial, social, cultural, educational, or other noncommercial functions, and financed fully or partially by its owner. This form is often used for hospitals, clinics, kindergartens, schools, universities, and museums.

Association or Union of Legal Entities – An organization formed to coordinate the activities of member organizations and to represent and protect their common interests.

PUBLIC BENEFIT STATUS

According to the Tax Code, a “charitable organization” is an NCO that:

  • Is created and carries out charitable activity in compliance with relevant Kyrgyz legislation;
  • Does not engage in the production or sale of excise goods, or in gambling; and
  • Does not support political parties or election campaigns.

While charitable organizations and their donors are entitled to significant tax benefits, no organizations in Kyrgyzstan currently qualify for this status. A key barrier is Article 9 of the Charity Law, which requires charitable organizations to spend at least 98 percent of their income on charitable purposes and no more than 2 percent on general overhead expenses. This strict limitation is widely viewed as impractical, deterring organizations from seeking charitable status even when they otherwise meet the criteria.

Another obstacle arises from Article 7 of the Charity Law, which allows a charitable organization to engage in economic activity only if it directly serves and aligns with the organization’s stated goals. By contrast, Article 12 of the NCO Law permits NCOs to conduct any economic activity that does not contradict their goals and tasks, offering a much broader scope for income-generating activities.

A new Tax Code took effect in January 2022. Most provisions affecting CSOs remained unchanged. Positively, the new Code reduced the immovable property tax rate for CSOs and expanded property tax exemptions for charitable organizations. However, it also introduced some less favorable changes, including the requirement for CSOs to pay and report income tax on a monthly basis instead of quarterly and the elimination of the sales tax exemption for charitable organizations.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Laws on Public Participation

National laws formally protect and institutionalize civic participation through measures such as public discussions and hearings on draft laws and regulations; CSO-government working groups, commissions, and public councils within state bodies; and citizen involvement in shaping state and local budgets. The following laws and policies contain provisions on public participation:

Under the Constitution and the Law on Normative Legal Acts, laws and other normative legal acts must be officially published before taking effect. A government decree requires publication in official print sources and websites, and the government maintains a Centralized Database of Legal Information. However, this database is not updated regularly, and while private companies operate reliable legal databases, they require paid subscriptions that place them out of reach for most citizens.

Kyrgyzstan made notable strides in expanding public participation in the past decade:

  • In May 2014, Kyrgyzstan adopted the Law on Public Councils of the State Bodies, which guarantees the establishment of citizen advisory bodies in all government agencies and strengthens operational and membership selection procedures.
  • In 2017, the country joined the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and developed an ambitious National Action Plan (NAP) with commitments related to transparency, participatory lawmaking, participatory budgeting and auditing, freedom of information, and civic space. On October 20, 2020, Bishkek City also joined the OGP Local Initiative. 
  • In 2020, the government launched a public discussion portal, with Article 22 of the Law on Normative Legal Acts requiring executive bodies to post legal initiatives through the portal.

However, this progress ground to a halt in 2021. The current government is not supportive of civil society and its engagement in government decision making. In January 2024, the government adopted a law terminating the Law on Public Councils of State Bodies, formally abolishing public councils under state bodies and thus removing a key institutionalized mechanism for civil society participation in government decision making. After failing to submit a new NAP since 2019, Kyrgyzstan’s membership in the OGP was declared inactive in May 2024 and withdrawn in May 2025.

Public Access to Participation Opportunities
While CSOs continue to use existing engagement mechanisms—such as budget hearings, which are popular in the regions—these opportunities are also shrinking. In 2022, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) began promoting “law de-bureaucratization,” arguing that complex legislative procedures hinder reform efforts. This shift could significantly reduce civic engagement in the law-making process and allow the government to circumvent meaningful public consultations. For example, on August 5, 2022, amendments to the Law on State Social Procurement (SSP) removed most civic engagement mechanisms from the law’s previous version.

Amendments to the Law on Normative Legal Acts (March 7, 2025) reduced the standard period for public consultations on draft laws from 30 to 15 days, and in some cases to just 10. They also allow consultations to be skipped entirely if the President declares an issue urgent. Moreover, the President can now introduce temporary regulations without any legal basis for up to one year to “test” new forms of social relations. Using this authority, on July 28, 2025, he adopted a Decree establishing a one-year state monopoly over international internet traffic.

A positive development is the mandatory requirement for the Cabinet of Ministers to use the public discussion portal, which may enhance transparency. Yet, while the mandatory use of the public portal is a step toward openness, it does little to counterbalance the overall weakening of civic engagement and oversight. Restrictions on Specific Groups
While Kyrgyz law grants equal rights to all individuals, restrictions disproportionately affect human rights defenders focused on civil and political rights, investigative journalists, bloggers, and activists who criticize the government.

Environmental advocacy is legally protected by the Law on Environmental Protection, which guarantees public associations and citizens the right to organize events, collect signatures, propose  referendums, and participate in environmental lawmaking. In practice, however, government actions often discourage such participation. For instance, in October 2022, more than 20 people were arrested after opposing the impending transfer of a major dam to Uzbekistan as part of a border demarcation agreement.

BARRIERS TO FORMATION

There are no legal barriers to forming an NCO in Kyrgyzstan, and NCOs may operate without registration. However, unregistered organizations lack legal entity status and therefore cannot perform certain activities in their own name, such as opening a bank account, ordering a seal, or filing a lawsuit.

Registration is quick and easy under the “single window” system and generally takes five days. Three founders are required for a public association. There are no restrictions on who may be a founder of an NGO: citizens, foreigners, other individuals, and legal entities are all eligible. There is no minimum asset requirements for any NCO.

The registration process consists of 3 steps:

  1. Drafting incorporation documents and forming governing bodies;
  2. Apply through the Ministry of Justice’s  “single window” system, which simultaneously notifies tax authorities, statistical bodies, and other government agencies, and obtains necessary registration numbers; and
  3. Opening a bank account and ordering a stamp if the organization plans to carry out significant activities in its own name.

The Ministry reviews applications and incorporation documents for compliance with the Civil Code, the Regulation on State Registration of Legal Entities, Branch (Representative) Offices, and other relevant laws. If no issues are found within five days, a Certificate of State Registration is issued, officially registering the NCO with the Ministry of Justice, Tax Service, and Social Fund.

Generally, the following documents must be submitted with the application:

  • Organizational charter
  • Minutes of the founding meeting
  • List of members of governing bodies
  • List of founders.

The registration fee ranges from KGS 1,119 to KGS 5,500 (USD 13-63 as of August 2025), depending on the processing time, which varies from three hours to three working days. The Ministry can deny registration if the information provided is incorrect or contradicts the law. Applicants may appeal denials to the Ministry and, if necessary, to a court.

Community-based organizations must register with local self-government bodies and have at least ten founding members, who must represent at least ten different households (Articles 5(3) and 6(1) of the Law on Jamaats (Communities) and Their Associations).

BARRIERS TO OPERATIONS

In general, an NCO may carry out any activity not forbidden in its charter. However, charitable organizations and public associations may engage in economic activity only if it directly aligns with their statutory goals. The law prohibits government interference in the internal governance of an NCO, and prior approval is not required for project activities.

NCOs have the same rights and obligations as other legal entities with respect to inspections and audits conducted by government agencies.

NCOs are subject to dissolution if they conduct an activity that violates the law (such as engaging in an activity without a license where a license is required) or failing to submit reports to the tax authority within one year. These dissolution grounds are applicable to all legal entities, whether commercial or noncommercial.

Financial Reporting Requirements

NCO reporting requirements were the same as those for other legal entities until June 26, 2021, when amendments to the Law on NCOs were adopted. The amendments require all NCOs to publish a new annual financial disclosure report on the State Tax Service (STS) website. On March 22, 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted a Decree approving the new disclosure form and submission procedure.

By April 1 each year, NCOs must publish the completed form for the previous year on the STS website. The form contains:

  • Cumulative information on income sources (disaggregated by membership fees, donations, grants from local and foreign sources, and others); expenditures (including business trips, salaries, procurements, conferences/seminars, expenditures for charter purposes, and others); and movable property and vehicles.
  • Detailed source data for all income, including the name, country code, and tax identification number of each income source.

Law on Foreign Representatives

On April 2, 2024, President Japarov signed the Law on Amending the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on Noncommercial Organizations (Law on Foreign Representatives), which:

  • Provides state authorities with the right to interfere in an organization’s internal affairs;
  • Requires NCOs that receive foreign funding and engage in broadly defined “political activity” to complete a special “foreign representative” registration; and
  • Requires international NGOs (INGOs) to work in Kyrgyzstan through a registered branch/representative office, potentially prohibiting NCOs from receiving grants from unregistered INGOs.

An analysis by ICNL analyzes the Law’s compliance with Kyrgyzstan’s international obligations and international best practices and analyzes the possible consequences of its adoption.

BARRIERS TO RESOURCES

Nearly all CSOs in Kyrgyzstan rely on international grant funding. Domestic philanthropy remains limited, largely due to economic conditions and the absence of tax incentives for charitable giving.

Social Procurement

To strengthen CSO financial sustainability and involve civil society in improving the quality of state social services, the government enacted the Law on State Social Procurement (SSP) in 2017. The law provides three forms of social procurement: social procurement, financing of CSOs’ public benefit projects, and social vouchers.

Between 2014 and 2017, social procurement programs received an average annual allocation of KGS 22.5 million (USD 257,475 as of August 2025) each year. By 2021, government funding for social contracts awarded to CSOs had grown to KGS 42 million (USD 480,620), with social procurement programs implemented by the Ministry of Labor, Social Development and Migration, the State Agency on Youth Affairs, Physical Culture and Sports, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Healthcare.

On August 5, 2022, amendments to the Law on SSP were adopted that removed nearly all civic engagement and transparency mechanisms previously included in the law.

Anti-Money Laundering/Countering Terrorist Financing

Civil society in Kyrgyzstan is actively involved in efforts to reduce terrorist financing risks in the noncommercial sector in line with the recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Following the 2018 FATF Eurasian Group (EAG) mutual evaluation, Kyrgyzstan was rated non-compliant with Recommendation 8, which addresses NCOs. According to the EAG report, this rating was due to the government’s lack of engagement with the NCO sector in combating terrorist financing; the absence of an oversight, monitoring, and sanctioning system to prevent terrorist financing in the sector; and a lack of regular reviews of the NCO sector for terrorist financing risks.

In response, the State Financial Intelligence Service (SFIS)—the government body responsible for FATF compliance reporting—established a CSO-government working group to develop a methodology for conducting risk assessments (RAs) of the Kyrgyz NCO sector. The working group produced a draft methodology to assess sector risks and guide the RA process. Between 2019 and 2021, it carried out the NCO sector RA and submitted the report to the SFIS in March 2021.

In November 2022, the EAG reviewed Kyrgyzstan’s FATF compliance progress report and upgraded its rating on Recommendation from “non-compliant” to “partially compliant.” The EAG identified the absence of an authorized state body to oversee the NCO sector as the sole remaining deficiency.

BARRIERS TO EXPRESSION

The international non-governmental organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) assesses freedom of speech and media freedom in 180 countries in its annual World Press Freedom Index. Before 2023, the country was already classified as “problematic” for press freedom, ranking 72nd globally in 2022. In 2023, amid high-profile criminal cases and persecution of journalists, Kyrgyzstan fell 50 places to 122nd; by 2025 the country dropped dramatically to 144th. Once considered an exception in Central Asia for its relative media freedom, Kyrgyzstan is now experiencing a severe press freedom crisis. Independent outlets face harassment, raids, and prosecution under restrictive laws. Journalists are increasingly silenced through arrests, exile, and smear campaigns, pushing the country into the category of “very serious” concern for freedom of expression.

Over the past few years, a series of laws and amendments have severely curtailed freedom of speech and press freedom in Kyrgyzstan.

Law on Protection from False Information (2021). The law grants individuals the right to demand the removal of online content about themselves that they believe to be false. Website owners must comply within 24 hours or risk having their site or page suspended for up to two months—or indefinitely if the content is not removed—and may also face liability for damages in court. The law fails to strike a balance between protecting the rights and reputations of others and safeguarding the fundamental right to freedom of expression.

Law on Mass Media (2025). The law imposes compulsory registration for all media outlets, including online platforms, under procedures controlled by the Cabinet of Ministers. It abolishes the status of independent journalists and restricts foreign ownership in media. Mandatory registration controlled by the executive risks arbitrary exclusion of critical outlets, while eliminating the category of independent journalists undermines media pluralism and public access to diverse sources of information.

Criminalization of Disinformation (Article 109-3) and Defamation and Insult (Article 107-1) (2025). Amendments to the Code on Offenses introduced administrative liability for disseminating “inaccurate or misleading information,” as well as for libel and insult in the media and on social networks. The penalties include fines of about $220 for individuals and $740 for legal entities. Because the terms are vaguely defined, these provisions create broad opportunities for arbitrary enforcement against journalists, activists, and ordinary citizens who criticize officials or address sensitive issues.

BARRIERS TO ASSEMBLY

The Kyrgyz Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of peaceful assembly. This right is further regulated by the Law on Peaceful Assemblies. Organizers are entitled—but not required—to submit advance notice so authorities help facilitate assemblies. Permits are not legally required. Nevertheless, in November 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the 2022-2023 Human Rights Action Plan, which includes a task to establish an online system for issuing permits to hold assemblies. No action has been taken to fulfill this task since then, however. By law, gatherings cannot be held within 100 meters of elementary and high schools, hospitals, or penal institutions. In April 2022, the Bishkek Pervomaisky district court has imposed and repeatedly extended a blanket ban on all meetings in front of the Russian Embassy and other political buildings without the required legal analysis to justify such a broad measure. The latest extension prolongs the restriction until September 30, 2025.

There is a ban on conducting gatherings and peaceful assemblies closer than 100 meters from elementary and high schools, hospitals, and properties of the penal system.

In April 2022, the Bishkek Pervomaisky district court imposed a blanket ban on all meetings in front of the Russian Embassy and other political buildings without doing the required analysis to justify such a broad ban. The ban is effective until July 21, 2023.

In November 2022, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the 2022-2023 Human Rights Action Plan, which includes a task to organize the issuance of permits for holding peaceful assemblies online. It should be noted that the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic does not oblige the organizer of a peaceful assembly to obtain a permit to hold a peaceful assembly. Organizers of peaceful assemblies are only entitled to submit advance notice so that the authorities can assist in holding peaceful assemblies.

Additional Resources

This section contains links to external reports and news reports relevant to civic freedoms. Click a subheading for more, or click here to expand all subheadings.

GLOBAL INDEX RANKINGS
Ranking BodyRankRanking Scale
(best – worst possible)
UN Human Development Index117 (2023)1 – 192
World Justice Project Rule of Law Index101 (2024)1 – 142
Fund for Peace: Fragile States Index65 (2024)179 – 0
Transparency International146 (2024)1 – 180
Freedom House: Freedom in the WorldStatus: Not Free
Political Rights: 4
Civil Liberties: 22 (2025)		Free/Partly Free/Not Free
40 – 1
60 – 1
REPORTS
UN Universal Periodic Review ReportsKyrgyz Republic UPR page
Reports of UN Special RapporteursKyrgyz Republic
U.S. State Department2024 Human Rights Reports: Kyrgyzstan
Fragile States Index ReportsForeign Policy: Fragile States Index 2024
IMF Country ReportsKyrgyz Republic and the IMF
International Center for Not-for-Profit Law (ICNL)Foreign Influence Registration Laws and Civil Society: An Analysis and Responses (2024)
Human Rights WatchHRW World Report 2025
International Center for Not-for-Profit Law Online LibraryKyrgyz Republic
NEWS

From free vote to ‘foreign agent’: Kyrgyzstan’s new law hits civil society (January 2025)
In March 2024, Kyrgyzstan introduced a “foreign representatives” law that requires organizations with foreign funding to be registered and audited. Reminiscent of Russia’s infamous Foreign Agent Law, it has awakened strong reactions internationally. Critics believe that the law limits civil society’s independence and freedom of expression.

Journalist in Exile Laments Kyrgyzstan Crackdown, Now Extending to His 12-Year-Old Son (November 2024)
Media and civil society freedoms in Kyrgyzstan are under attack with a severity that has intensified under President Sadyr Japarov. Repressive laws allowing for greater control over civil society have enabled targeted attacks on human rights defenders, journalists, and independent news outlets. These actions illustrate broader trends of democratic backsliding, with human rights eroding at an alarming rate. My case is only one example. Due to my work as an anti-corruption investigative journalist, the Kyrgyz government expelled me from my country, imprisoned and tortured my wife, prosecuted my colleagues, and now is taking my son away from me.

Open Society Foundations to Cease Operations in Kyrgyzstan (April 2024)
The Open Society Foundations will close their national foundation in Kyrgyzstan following the passing of a new law which imposes restrictive, broad, and ill-defined regulations on the activities of internationally funded local organizations. According to a statement on February 7 from the OSCE, the new law risks “an overwhelmingly negative impact on civil society, human rights defenders, and the media in Kyrgyzstan.” Open Society launched the Soros Foundation–Kyrgyzstan in 1993, when the country was navigating a complex socioeconomic crisis following its independence from the former Soviet Union.

CSOs call on president to veto the law on “foreign representatives” (March 2024)
The Kyrgyz Parliament adopted the draft law “On Non-Profit Non-Governmental Organisations” in its third parliamentary reading, paving the way for its implementation, which would drastically restrict freedom of association in Kyrgyzstan. The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (International Federation for Human Rights-FIDH and World Organisation Against Torture-OMCT), Bir Duino and the Coalition for Equality condemn this dangerous new step towards the curtailing of civic space and urge the President of Kyrgyzstan not to sign the draft law in order to prevent its implementation.

Draft NGO law poses grave threat to thriving civil society (October 2023)
Reacting to the Kyrgyzstani parliament’s adoption in its first reading of amendments to a law that would dangerously restrict freedom of association and the work of NGOs in the country, Maisy Weicherding, Amnesty International’s Central Asia Researcher, said, “We are disappointed that these unnecessarily restrictive amendments to existing NGO legislation were passed at the bill’s first reading.” The proposed amendments include penalties of up to 10 years’ imprisonment for civil society activists who establish, participate in or promote an NGO or an affiliate of a foreign NGO, if the authorities find that the organization is committing what is vaguely defined as ‘inciting citizens to refuse to perform civic duties or to commit other unlawful deeds.’

Civil Society Struggles for Freedom in Central Asia (September 2023)
Kyrgyzstan has the region’s most robust civil society, which activists say is now under direct threat. Several prominent human rights groups issued a joint statement urging lawmakers in Kyrgyzstan to reject a bill introduced by 33 legislators. “This draft law, which draws heavily on corresponding Russian legislation and is primarily aimed at stigmatizing and restricting the activities of foreign-funded organizations, poses a direct and serious threat to Kyrgyzstan’s vibrant civil society, in particular human rights defenders and their organizations,” the statement said.

The President signed the Law on Volunteering Activity (March 2023) (Russian)
The law creates a legal basis for volunteerism that can be expanded and strengthened through relevant amendments to the tax, labor, and other legislation.

A working group has been formed to finalize the draft  Law on Noncommercial Nongovernmental Organizations (February 2023) (Russian)
On December 19, President signed a Decree on February 9 to establish a CSO-government working group tasked with revising the draft law.

Pressure on media, attacks on NGOs, cooperation: Interview with U.S. Ambassador” (February 2023) (English)

The public councils of state bodies appealed to the President. They ask not to abolish public councils (February 2023) (English)

OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Urgent interim opinion on the Draft Law “On Non-Profit Nongovernmental Organizations” and draft amendments on “Foreign Representatives” (December 2022)
The majority of the provisions of the Draft Law are incompatible with international human rights standards.

ICNL Analysis of the Kyrgyz Republic Draft Law on Non-Governmental Organizations (December 2022)
The Analysis shows that the Draft Law, if adopted, will significantly worsen the conditions for the establishment and the legal status of both local and foreign NCOs in the Kyrgyz Republic.

MP Narmatova initiated a draft law on “foreign representatives” (November 2022) (Russian)
In 2015, MP Nadira Narmatova together with former parliamentarian Tursanbai Bakir uulu already initiated a similar document, called the draft law on “foreign agents”. However, the majority of deputies in 2016 voted against the document, believing that it would limit the rights of civil society and lead to a reduction in international assistance to Kyrgyzstan.

The Presidential Administration has developed a new law on non-profit organizations (November 2022) (Russian)
The General Prosecutor’s Office will monitor and supervise the compliance of NGOs’ activities with the goals stipulated by their founding documents and the legislation of the country.

The Law on Protection from False Information. Members of parliament said it aimed to restrict free speech (September 2022) (Russian)
The leader of the parliamentary faction, Adakhan Madumarov, noted that there is open pressure on Internet resources in the country and that the authorities simply shut down the channels they don’t like.

ARCHIVED NEWS

New parliamentary regulations: more room to maneuver and less responsibility (June 2022) (Russian)

The Ministry of Justice trained legal services of state bodies on the new methodology for drafting laws (June 2022) (Russian)

CSOs oppose the draft Regulation on State Small Grants for CSOs (May 2022) (Russian)

Lawyers are against the reduction of the period of public discussions (May 2022) (Russian)

Kyrgyzstan: Repeal protest ban (March 2022)

Representatives of civil society and government agencies discussed the draft law “On the right to access information” (December 2021) (Russian)

Reporters Without Borders call on Sadyr Japarov to abolish fake news law (August 2021)

Devil in the details of Kyrgyzstan’s new-look constitution (March 2021)

Bishkek is now part of the OGP Local partnership (October 2020) (Russian)

Kyrgyzstanis will be able to discuss draft laws on a unified portal (August 2020) (Russian)

Kyrgyzstan: Volunteers play heroic role in battle against COVID-19 (July 2019)

Kyrgyzstan: Law “On Manipulating Information” must be vetoed (July 2020)

Kyrgyzstan: Draft bill threatens to drive NGOs against the wall (May 2020)

A Power Grab in Kyrgyzstan (May 2020)

UN in Kyrgyzstan: Adoption of amendments to the law on NGOs will undermine Kyrgyzstan’s reputation as a democracy (May 2020) (Russian)

President offers olive branch to civil society (July 2018)

Key Events

On July 13, 2023, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the human rights situation in Kyrgyzstan. The resolution urges the Kyrgyz authorities to review and withdraw several laws that are inconsistent with the country’s international commitments. Of particular concern are the law on “false information” as well as the draft laws on “foreign representatives,” “mass media,” and “protecting children from harmful information,” or the so-called “LGBTI propaganda law.”