The non-governmental organization CIVICUS Monitor has included Kyrgyzstan in its list of countries experiencing a sharp decline in civil freedoms due to the authorities' promotion of repressive laws targeting NGOs and limiting freedom of expression. Two repressive bills are currently being considered in the Kyrgyz parliament. One of them is a law similar to the Russian "foreign agents" law, which, if adopted, would force foreign-funded NGOs to register as "foreign agents" if they engage in broadly defined "political activities" and subject them to strict oversight. The other proposed bill aims to expand government control over the media, including blogs and websites, further restricting internet freedom in a country where individuals are increasingly facing criminal prosecution for critical social media posts.
Both laws are directly modeled after laws of the Putin regime, which have had destructive consequences for Russian civil society and the media. CIVICUS Monitor highlighted the risks associated with such laws, emphasizing that they are often used by authoritarian regimes to suppress independent civil society groups and silence critical voices.
Kyrgyzstan's civil space is currently rated as "repressed" by CIVICUS Monitor, the second-harshest rating a country can receive. Following the downgrade from "obstructed" in December 2023, all Central Asian countries are now rated either "repressed" or "closed." The situation in Kyrgyzstan calls for intensified international efforts to protect the country's civil society, as the current worrying trends could have far-reaching consequences not only for Kyrgyzstan but for the entire region.
International partners of Kyrgyzstan, including international institutions, governments, and funding agencies, are urged to unequivocally condemn the expanding suppression of civil space in the country and pressure the authorities to uphold their obligations to respect freedom of expression and association. The European Union, in seeking to strengthen its ties with Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries, must make it clear that initiatives like the "foreign agents" bill contradict fundamental values and partnership priorities, warning of negative repercussions on relations if such initiatives are adopted.
With Kyrgyzstan currently classified as a "repressed" country by CIVICUS Monitor, joining a total of 50 countries worldwide with this rating, it is evident that authorities are severely restricting civil space through legal and practical measures that hinder the full exercise of basic rights.
