FORUM-ASIA’s member in Kyrgyzstan Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan released a report on the ‘Situation of human rights defenders and legal prosecution.’

The report highlights the intensifying persecution of human rights organisations and human rights defenders actively protecting the civil and political rights of citizens, ethnic minorities, religious practitioners and LGBTI groups in Kyrgyzstan. Activists and civil society, including representatives of the LGBTI community, are subject to illegal judicial or administrative proceedings, threats, intimidation and harassment. Human rights NGOs are found to be the most vulnerable to violation of physical integrity. Independent lawyers engaged in human rights issues face threats to be deprived of the right to practice law.

The adoption of repressive laws are being discussed at legislative level, including a ‘foreign agent law’ that will restrict the functioning of international human rights organisations and laws that will restrict trade unions from independently defending the labor rights of citizens.

Bir Duino-Kyrgyzstan calls on the state to cease discrediting human rights organisations, refrain from any intimidating or repressive actions against human rights defenders and guarantee full respect for the rule of law.

For a PDF version of the full report, click here.