HRW Urges Kyrgyz President to Veto Bills Threatening Media Freedom and Anti-Torture Protections

HRW Urges Kyrgyz President to Veto Bills Threatening Media Freedom and Anti-Torture Protections
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Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov to veto two new laws passed by parliament that threaten media freedom and weaken protections against torture. One bill redefines all websites as mass media outlets and requires mandatory registration before publishing any information.

The Cabinet of Ministers has exclusive control over registration rules and can close outlets without court oversight. The law also restricts foreign ownership in media to 35%. HRW and local journalists warn this could suppress independent reporting and silence critical voices.

The second bill merges the independent National Centre for the Prevention of Torture with the ombudsman’s office, which activists say will undermine its effectiveness. Established in 2012, the Centre has been praised by UN experts for meeting international standards to monitor and prevent torture.

Syinat Sultanalieva, HRW’s Central Asia researcher, urged the president to reject the laws and ensure public consultation on legislation affecting basic freedoms, calling the measures a “dangerous regression.”

The new bills follow a broader crackdown on free expression in Kyrgyzstan, with recent laws tightening government control over NGOs and independent media, while critics and journalists increasingly face detention without formal charges.