Kyrgyzstan is considering a highly controversial proposal to reinstate the death penalty, following an order from President Sadyr Japarov to draft amendments targeting crimes against women and children. Capital punishment had been abolished in 2007, and the new draft legislation has been published for public discussion. The proposal follows the brutal killing of 17-year-old Aisuluu Mukasheva on 27 September 2025, which sparked national outrage and calls for stronger protections against gender-based violence (GBV) and femicide. While public grief and anger have intensified, many civil society organizations strongly oppose reinstating the death penalty.
Experts argue that capital punishment does not effectively deter crime and risks worsening abuses in a judicial system already weakened by corruption and impunity. Reintroducing the death penalty would violate Kyrgyzstan’s Constitution, which bans executions under Article 25, and contravene its international commitments, including the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Critics warn that such a move would reverse progress since the 1998 moratorium and 2007 abolition, damage Kyrgyzstan’s international standing, and place the country among a shrinking number of states retaining the death penalty. International bodies, including the European Union, the Council of Europe, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, have reaffirmed that executions are inhumane, fail to deter crime, and undermine justice systems.
Reports indicate that Kyrgyz authorities have consistently failed to address systemic issues contributing to violence against women. Law enforcement frequently neglects victims’ complaints, investigations are delayed or insufficient, and perpetrators often face leniency. The government has also taken repressive actions against women’s rights defenders, including harassment and retaliatory prosecution of female journalists and activists. Observers note that the death penalty proposal appears more as a populist response to public outrage rather than a genuine effort to protect women and children.
Concerns about fair trials and human rights protections further underscore the risks. Kyrgyzstan recently abolished the National Centre for the Prevention of Torture, transferring its mandate to the Ombudsperson’s Office, which lacks full independence. Torture, abuse, and deaths in detention persist with little accountability. Public trust in institutions remains low, and perceptions of corruption are high, with the Ministry of Internal Affairs scoring 28.9 out of 100 in the 2025 Index of Perceived Corruption. Transparency International’s 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index ranked Kyrgyzstan 146th out of 180 countries.
Civil society organizations condemn the use of Aisuluu Mukasheva’s tragic death for political gain. They stress that addressing systemic failures is essential, including the lack of timely law enforcement response in prior cases such as the murders of Aizada Kanatbekova in 2021 and Burulai Turdalyk kyzy in 2018, both of which highlighted police negligence. Experts call for comprehensive reforms to protect women and girls, including nationwide crisis centers, hotlines, shelters, training for first responders, accountability for law enforcement failures, and consistent prosecution of perpetrators. They emphasize that only through systemic change, rather than reinstating capital punishment, can Kyrgyzstan ensure the safety, dignity, and rights of women and girls.
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