Foreign Agents Law - The Times Of Central Asia

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USAID Pullback in Kazakhstan Creates Space for China and Raises Security Concerns – Expert

President Trump’s executive order restricting the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) globally has led to a reduction in Western-funded projects in Kazakhstan. USAID previously funded initiatives in humanitarian aid, media, blogging, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). As a result of the new U.S. administration's actions, experts suggest that China is expanding its influence. Gulmira Ileuova, head of the Strategy Foundation and a member of the advisory public organization, the National Kurultai, told TCA that the Kazakh government had already taken measures to limit foreign financial influence. "Kazakhstan was among the first post-Soviet countries to regulate foreign funding, requiring grant providers to be registered. Most of these organizations, including Soros-Kazakhstan and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, operate within legal frameworks," she stated. Ileuova noted that German political foundations maintain a presence in Kazakhstan, while French grant-making organizations are largely absent. Beyond civil society projects, USAID also funded state-involved initiatives in education, healthcare, and energy. According to Ileuova, the withdrawal of USAID could lead to a shortfall in funding for NGOs, though state-backed projects are unlikely to be significantly affected. China’s Expanding Role Ileuova believes that China’s influence in Kazakhstan is growing faster than Russia’s, as Beijing has moved beyond economic partnerships to broader engagement." Russia relies on language and media ties to sustain its influence, while China is actively reshaping its approach," she said. Ileuova highlighted China’s soft power initiatives, including the Community of a Common Destiny for Mankind, which promotes cooperation and mutual development among nations. She also pointed to growing cultural and educational exchanges, suggesting that China’s approach mirrors past Western strategies of funding local partnerships and academic institutions. While China does not emphasize democracy or human rights in its outreach, its economic initiatives prioritize infrastructure development and poverty alleviation, often accompanied by media campaigns highlighting the benefits of Chinese investment. In recent years, Kazakhstan and China have strengthened cultural and educational ties. In August 2024, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Chinese President Xi Jinping inaugurated Chinese cultural centers in Astana and Beijing via video link. The Beijing Language and Culture University also opened a branch in Astana, marking the first Chinese university in Central Asia. Additionally, in February 2025, China’s Consul General in Almaty, Jiang Wei, attended the opening of the Belt and Road scientific and educational center in Almaty. Religious Extremism and Security Considerations Ileuova also stated that the withdrawal of USAID and Western funds is unlikely to directly impact radical religious groups, as Western organizations primarily engage with urban, educated populations rather than communities at risk of radicalization. In a recent interview, Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Russia, Dauren Abayev, said that there is no immediate security risk from the return of Kazakh nationals who fought in Syria. According to official estimates, more than 30 Kazakhs remain in militant groups in Syria. From 2019 to 2021, the government carried out the Zhusan humanitarian operation, repatriating 600 individuals, including 413 children. Most male returnees were prosecuted and sentenced in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan continues to monitor and prosecute individuals linked to...

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Proposed Kazakh Foreign Agents Law Sparks Heated Debate

The potential adoption of a law on foreign agents has sparked heated discussions and even serious conflicts in Kazakhstan. However, some experts believe that labeling foreign agents will help the country's citizens understand whose interests certain sections of the media and bloggers are serving. Discussions about the possible adoption of a foreign agents law in Kazakhstan have been ongoing for several years. The sharp reduction in USAID activities worldwide, including in Kazakhstan, has given new momentum to the debate. A directive from U.S. President Donald Trump to shut down the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) brought shocking details to light. It was confirmed that over the years, USAID had spent millions of dollars funding various projects in Kazakhstan. Some of these projects, including those involving the Kazakh government, were related to energy, modernization, healthcare, and other progressive fields. However, a significant portion of the funds went toward media resources that promoted a specific point of view in Kazakhstan, often leading to conflicts, as extensively reported by The Times of Central Asia (TCA) in a series of articles. Following Trump’s directive, Mazhilis (Parliament) Deputy Magerram Magerramov accused USAID of lobbying for the LGBT community. According to him, Elon Musk and Trump had called USAID a criminal organization. The deputy claimed that foreign-funded non-governmental organizations (NGOs) were promoting an alien and harmful perspective in Kazakhstan. Sources indicate that the shutdown of USAID’s activities has already led to the closure or suspension of certain media outlets in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. For example, on February 17, Mediazona Central Asia announced it was temporarily ceasing operations. The issue of foreign funding for media and bloggers has caused an intense reaction in Kazakhstan’s information space. Amid the USAID shuttering, Mazhilis deputy from the People's Party of Kazakhstan, Irina Smirnova, proposed amending the legislation on foreign financing. Her proposal served to escalate tensions. On February 12, Smirnova submitted a parliamentary inquiry to Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. According to Smirnova, around 200 NGOs in Kazakhstan receive foreign funding, with 70% financed through various U.S. sources. Official government data shows that the country has 165 different grant donors, including 53 international organizations, 31 foreign government organizations, and 81 foreign and Kazakh NGOs. "Even experts find it difficult to distinguish between friendly resources and those that require caution to avoid falling under the influence of destructive 'soft' power," Smirnova stated, representing this a challenge for Kazakh society. According to Smirnova, many countries counter such challenges by adopting foreign agent laws. For example, Israel has had such a law since 2016, China since 2017, Australia since 2018, the UK since 2023, and France since 2024. One of the original models for such laws is the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act, enacted in 1938 to counter Nazi propaganda. Smirnova suggested that Kazakhstan should develop national legislation on foreign agents similar to Western countries so that citizens can evaluate and compare information while understanding its source. Her statement triggered a massive backlash, however, with the most extreme reaction coming from Arman Shuraev, a former...

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Kyrgyzstan Adds First Three Organizations to List of Foreign Agents

The Kyrgyz Ministry of Justice has posted a list of non-profit organizations that have been given the status of “foreign agent”. On August 27 the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan adopted a decree “On non-profit organizations”. The new law came into force on September 9, since when any NPO engaged in political activities and receiving funding from abroad must apply for inclusion as a foreign agent. The first three organizations to declare themselves as "foreign agents" are the Eurasian Club association of entrepreneurs, the business association JIA, and a branch of the environmental organization Fauna and Flora International. “Applications shall be submitted to the authorized body to maintain the register of NPOs within two months from the date of entry into force of this decree,” the Ministry of Justice explained to The Times of Central Asia. After receiving an application, the ministry has 60 days to verify the information provided. The law stipulates that foreign agent status can be removed if an organization has not received funds or property from foreign sources in the past 12 calendar months, or if it has not been engaged in political activity in the past 12 months. Kyrgyzstan's president Sadyr Japarov has promised the public that the authorities would not prosecute foreign agents and their representatives. “I, as head of state, guarantee that there will be no persecution. We are not a nuclear country. We are not going to fly into space yet. Our state has no secrets to hide from you and your donors,” Japarov said earlier this year.

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NGOs in Kyrgyzstan Have Two Months to Register as “Foreign Agents”

Kyrgyzstan's Ministry of Justice has approved the creation of a register for "non-governmental organizations performing the functions of a foreign representative", which gives authorities the right to inspect their activities. All non-profit agencies that receive foreign funding have been given two months from 16 May to submit documents to the ministry. Kyrgyz president Sadyr Zhaparov signed the law "on Foreign Representatives" on April 2, despite over 100 organizations and civil society figures appealing for him not to do so. Zhaparov made assurances at the time that non-governmental organizations would not be persecuted. Local NGOs funded from abroad that are engaged in political activities in Kyrgyzstan are now recognized as "performing the functions of a foreign representative", and are placed in a separate register. Organizations included in this register -- so-called 'foreign agents' -- may be subjected to various unscheduled inspections. Several international organizations, as well as the United States and certain countries in the European Union, have voiced criticisms of the new law. After it came into force, the Soros-Kyrgyzstan Foundation announced that it would be terminating its activities in Kyrgyzstan.

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Case Documents for 11 Temirov Live Journalists Submitted to Court in Kyrgyzstan

Legal documents regarding the cases of eleven current and former journalists of the Temirov Live project, who are accused of calling for mass riots, have been handed over to the court. According to the Pervomaisky District Court of Bishkek, the criminal case was received by the court office and will be handed over to the judge through the automatic distribution of cases of the AIS system, 24.kg news agency has stated. As previously reported by the Times of Central Asia, on January 16, Interior Ministry officers searched the office of Temirov Live and confiscated its editorial equipment. The police also searched the journalists' homes and detained eleven current and former employees of the publication. The motivation behind the case was one of Temirov's projects called "Ait, Ait Dese," which was published on YouTube in the fall of 2023, which the authorities claim called for mass disorder. At the time, Kyrgyz Interior Minister Ulanbek Niyazbekov said the detainees weren't journalists. "We cannot [help] but respond when they disseminate inaccurate information and engage in vilification. There are those who do not know the laws of journalism and do not have the relevant knowledge. They do not know and spread misleading information, sowing confusion among the people. I believe that we should not consider them as journalists," news agencies quoted the Interior Minister as saying. The detainees were Makhabat Tazhibek kyzy, Sapar Akunbekov, Azamat Ishenbekov, Saipidin Sultanaliyev, Aktilek Kaparov, Tynystan Asypbekov, Maksat Tazhibek uulu, Joodar Buzumov, Zhumabek Turdaliyev, Aike Beishekeeva and Akyl Orozbekov. They were all taken into custody in January for two months, until March 13. Later, the court released some of the detained journalists under house arrest and on their own recognizance. Already facing a backlash over its so-called "foreign agents law," Bishkek has pushed back against international criticism of the high-profile prosecution, saying the case is not politically motivated and that those facing charges are poorly educated people masquerading as journalists. In late 2022, Kyrgyzstan deported Bolot Temirov, an investigative reporter with dual Kyrgyz and Russian nationality. "Temirov was sent to Russia by force with no belongings, no phone, no money or international passport, and in violation of deportation procedures,” the head of Reporters Without Bordfers Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk, Jeanne Cavelier stated at the time.

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Kyrgyzstan’s Law on NGOs: What Alarms Human Rights Activists?

In April 2024 Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov signed a law on non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Now all NGOs must submit full financial reports and register with the Ministry of Justice. Despite the authorities' statements about the need for a document regulating the financing of such organizations, the law has numerous opponents. President Japarov himself claims that some NGOs have deceived donors by using foreign funds -- meant for roundtable discussions, training sessions and projects -- for personal purposes. "If you say that this is not true, I can prove it. Why do NGOs in developed countries register with the Ministry of Justice, tax service, open a bank account and do not do the same when they come to us? Or are we a second-rate country? No, we are not. We will not allow such dubious actions anymore," Japarov said after criticism from NGO representatives. Under the new legislation, an NGO that has received foreign aid will be called a "foreign representative". Public activists claim that the rule is consonant with the Russian law on foreign agent status for nonprofits that accept foreign funding. Such a situation will carry certain reputational risks: according to the law, organizations that receive funding from abroad and deal with political issues must be included in a special register and operate under the control of state bodies. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Azisbek Ashurov, head of the NGO 'Lawyers of Fergana Valley Without Borders' and a human rights activist, spoke about the pitfalls of the law. In Ashurov's opinion, the document is designed to limit the activities of the private sector. "We are concerned about the re-registration procedure itself. Either it is just an application procedure, or someone will approve, make decisions. When decisions are made, how transparent and non-corrupt will it be?" he asked. Ashurov gave the example that in Kyrgyzstan there are NGOs providing legal assistance to citizens. If there is a dispute with a government body, the decision is challenged in the courts. However, now such structures will be dependent on the state and will not be able to work fully independently. "State bodies have been authorized to interfere in the activities of NGOs. This is participation in their internal activities. We discuss some of our cases [via] collegiums, when lawyers discuss the strategy for different cases. Now, imagine, a representative of the state will sit and listen to confidential information that in the interest of the citizen we should not disclose. The balance is grossly upset. The adversarial principle is violated if we are preparing for court hearings against state bodies, for example, against the Ministry of Justice," Ashurov added. According to him, the Ministry of Justice was given the opportunity to suspend the activities of NGOs for violations. However, the current legislative framework doesn't specify the violations for which an NGO can be suspended. The law prescribes that state bodies may request information from NGOs -- however, it's not specified what kind of information should be provided. In...