Kyrgyzstan’s parliament passed two laws this week that gut the country’s torture prevention system and give authorities sweeping power to shut down media outlets, Human Rights Watch warned. The laws rushed through on June 25 merge the independent National Center for the Prevention of Torture with the Ombudsman’s office and let officials deny media registration or close outlets without court approval. Human rights groups say the moves violate international law and put people at risk.
The National Center for Torture Prevention has been praised by UN experts as a model for Central Asia since it was set up in 2012. UN officials have repeatedly warned Kyrgyzstan not to weaken the center, which monitors prisons and detention facilities. The new media law forces all websites to register with the government or face prosecution, including those run by NGOs and professional groups.
Parliament pushed both laws through second and third readings in one day, making major changes from earlier versions without giving lawmakers or civil society time to review them.
“Kyrgyzstan’s parliament has put human rights protections at serious risk by passing bills that would dismantle oversight mechanisms against torture and undermine media independence,” said Syinat Sultanalieva, Central Asia researcher at Human Rights Watch.
The rushed process violates parliament’s own rules and follows a pattern of problematic laws passed at the end of annual sessions.
The media law abandons a compromise version that took 18 months to develop with journalists and legal experts. Instead, it brings back requirements that all websites register as media outlets under government control or risk being shut down.
Human Rights Watch wants President Sadyr Japarov to veto both bills and send them back to parliament for proper review with civil society input. The group says the laws breach Kyrgyzstan’s international human rights commitments and threaten people’s safety and freedom.
