Kyrgyzstan - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kyrgyz Court Rules in Favor of Shutting Down another Mass Media Outlet

Bishkek's Oktyabrsky District Court has ruled in favor of liquidating a public foundation named Kloop Media. The official reason, as stated in a social network post by Kloop Media, is discrediting state and municipal bodies. According to the publication's staff, Bishkek prosecutor Emilbek Abdymannapov filed a lawsuit in court last August seeking to liquidate Kloop Media. The prosecutor had argued that most of the publication's stories were negative and aimed at discrediting certain representatives of state and municipal bodies. On August 22nd 2023, Kloop Media published a journalistic investigation focusing on corruption schemes undertaken by top officials in Kyrgyzstan - and later published more material criticizing the president of the republic and his relatives. Consequently, in September 2023, access to the Kloop Media website was blocked, and now the foundation itself has been closed by the authorities following the court's decision, which states that Kloop Media is not listed in the state register of Kyrgyz media and that the organization's charter doesn't specify its main activity, which is the dissemination of information. The Civil Code of the Kyrgyz Republic allows for the liquidation of legal entities if they systematically carry out activities which don't correspond to the objectives set out in their charters. Lawyers for the public fund in turn stated that the court session contained multiple violations, and they will appeal the decision to a higher authority. The public foundation, Kloop Media was established in 2007 and positioned itself as a human rights media outlet. Kloop primarily hired young writers and trained them in investigative journalism. On the day the court's decision was announced, the international organization, Reporters without Borders called on the Media Freedom Coalition to take action against what they called an "arbitrary and unjustified decision." In April 2023, the Lenin Court of Bishkek ruled in favor of a lawsuit brought by the Ministry of Culture, Information, Sports and Youth Policy of Kyrgyzstan that called for the shutdown of Azattyk Media, which was the Kyrgyz service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, financed by the U.S. State Department. The Ministry objected to material published about fighting on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. The authorities claimed that the content contained "elements of hostility and unconfirmed information about an alleged attack by the Kyrgyz side on Tajikistan, inflaming the situation in society and causing hatred, discrimination and division among citizens when covering the events in Batken Oblast."

Two New tourist Stops Open on Kyrgyzstan’s Silk Road

Two new tourist stops have been opened in the south of Kyrgyzstan. One is beside the famous Uzgen Minaret, built almost a thousand years ago; the other is in the village of Barpy, on the highway between Bishkek and Osh. Stops like these exist to allow travelers to rest, charge electric cars and gadgets, have something to eat and drink, and take a shower. Kyrgyzstan’s first dedicated tourist stop was opened last spring in the town of Kemin in the north of the country, on the way to Issyk-Kul Lake. There are now four places for tourists to stop in the south of Kyrgyzstan — Barpy, Uzgen, Kara-Kul, and Jalal-Abad. Two others are currently being built in the Issyk-Kul Region.

Kyrgyzstan-Turkey Business Forum Held in Ankara

Relations between Kyrgyzstan and Turkey have reached a new level in all areas, the chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic, Akylbek Japarov said at the Kyrgyz-Turkish business forum in the Turkish capital, Ankara on February 9th. According to the Prime Minister, Turkey was the largest foreign investor in Kyrgyzstan’s economy in 2022, with investments totaling $341.6m. Between January and November 2023, trade turnover between the two countries increased again, amounting to $560.5m. Japarov added that the governments of the two countries are now working to create a Kyrgyz-Turkish Investment Fund to finance large infrastructure projects. At the forum, Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Economy and Commerce, Daniyar Amangeldiev informed Turkish entrepreneurs about opportunities in Kyrgyzstan, highlighting tax breaks and support for investors. The forum culminated in the signing of eight cooperation documents on joint projects, among them a contract for the supply of walnuts from Kyrgyzstan to Turkey. On the same day, Japarov and Turkish Vice President, Cevdet Yilmaz co-chaired the 11th meeting of the Kyrgyz-Turkish Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. The meeting focused on the fields of economy, investment, energy, industry, agriculture, transport, tourism, healthcare, culture, and education. At the meeting Japarov stated that the establishment of a trade mission of Kyrgyzstan in Turkey will help deepen economic ties between the two states and ensure the sustainable development of cooperation in trade and investment.

Central Asia’s First Center for the Support of Women and Girls to Open in Kyrgyzstan

Women whose rights are violated at home and at work will now be able to receive protection at a special center, according to the Kyrgyz Republic's Ministry of Labor, Social Security and Migration. It will be the first such center in Central Asia in support of female victims of violence, and will offer women and girls free psychological and legal assistance, as well as medical examinations. "When the one-stop shop opens, women and girls will receive all necessary services in one place, namely investigative and forensic medical examinations, as well as legal and psychological assistance," Deputy Minister of Labor, Social Security and Migration, Zhanyl Alybayeva said at a meeting with international organizations and human rights activists. Alybayeva stated that the UN Office on Drugs and Crime is providing technical support for the center's opening. According to statistics, the number of cases of domestic violence against women in Kyrgyzstan today remains high. In 2022, according to official data, 8,620 cases of domestic violence against women were registered, and in the first 10 months of 2023, there were more than 8,000 instances. The majority of those who contacted law enforcement are women between the age of 18 and 34. At the end of last year, parliament ratified the international convention on the eradication of violence and harassment in the field of labor. A draft law "on amendments to some legislative acts of the Kyrgyz Republic in the field of protection and defense against family, sexual and gender violence" was also put forward. In their debate, MPs noted that most women who suffer from violence do not turn to law enforcement, and therefore the real figures are almost certainly much higher. The new bill also stipulates that perpetrators of violence within the family must temporarily leave the dwelling they share with the victim. "After an act of violence within the family, victims usually move out to acquaintances or to crisis centers, and then the family collapses," MP Dinara Ashimova said. "With this bill, we propose that it should be the accused who has to leave. Even when he returns, there will be a greater likelihood that the spouses will reconcile and the family will be preserved." Currently, ratification of the international convention is awaiting President Japarov's signature.

U.S. State Department Asks Kyrgyzstan To Reconsider Foreign Agents Law

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov to reconsider Kyrgyzstan's draft law on foreign agents, which is currently under consideration in the parliament and has already been passed by the country's Supreme Council in a second reading. In his letter, Secretary Blinken says that this bill in its current form "jeopardizes the access of Kyrgyz citizens to vital services." According to the U.S. official, after the law is passed, Kyrgyz citizens may have problems with access to health care, education and more services provided through programs run by non-governmental organizations with the support of Washington and other foreign partners. "Your vibrant civil society has long been the strongest in the region and a key part of Kyrgyzstan's democracy. I am therefore writing to you to express my concern about the Kyrgyz parliament's draft law on foreign representatives, which, if passed, would impose onerous civil and criminal penalties on non-governmental organizations (NGOs). It jeopardizes one of your country's greatest assets," the U.S. Secretary of State wrote. According to Blinken, many Kyrgyz NGOs and foreign-funded NGOs are already thinking about stopping their activities in Kyrgyzstan. The U.S. Secretary of State urged the Kyrgyz president to weigh these concerns and discuss them with members of parliament (MPs). According to the bill being discussed by MPs, the concept of "foreign representative" will be introduced into law, and will place special responsibility under the law on non-profit (NPO) and non-governmental organizations. In particular, Western representatives aren't satisfied with the fact that the bill proposes introducing an article in the Kyrgyz Criminal Code on "creation of a non-profit organization that infringes on the personality and rights of citizens." Active participation in such organizations will be punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years or a fine of 100,000-200,000 soms ($1,100-$2,200). Moreover, the draft law introduces additional reporting obligations for foreign-funded non-profit organizations that engage in political activity in Kyrgyzstan. Other international organizations such as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, as well as representatives of EU, UK and other countries stated that they are not satisfied with the draft law. They also called on parliament and the president to reconsider the bill. "The introduction of onerous reporting requirements in the draft law is likely to prove crippling for small and medium-sized media organizations and create significant risks for media freedom and open debate on issues of public interest in the [Kyrgyz Republic]. It is particularly worrying that the amendments under consideration would impose almost complete state control over the right to free expression of civil society and media representatives," said Teresa Ribeiro, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. The discussion about draft laws on NGOs and foreign agents has been going on in Kyrgyzstan for several years. Amendments and additions have been made to the draft law. Now the bill is close to final adoption and signing by the president. Speaking at the People's Kurultai last December, President Japarov said that more than...

Kyrgyzstan To Pay Over $1.2bn Of Foreign Debt Before 2026

Kyrgyzstan is increasing the volume of payments on its external debt. In 2023 the country paid $344m of its foreign debt, and this year it is due to settle $400m. In 2025 the figure will be $430m, declining to $390m in 2026, the chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Japarov announced on February 7th. According to the most recent data from the Ministry of Finance, as of November 2023 public debt amounted to $6.1bn, including $4.5bn of external debt and $1.6bn of internal debt. Over half (52.8%, or $2.4bn) of the external debt consists of multilateral loans. The country owes $2.1bn as part of bilateral concessional loans. Of these, 37.6% ($1.7bn) is owed to the Export-Import Bank of China.