Articles
Kyrgyzstan has been rated as “not free” by Freedom House in its global freedom index for three consecutive years. In general, Kyrgyzstan has declined in terms of indicators of freedoms in the country and lost 12 points in the last decade. However, despite arrests and pressure on the media and civic activists, the leadership of the republic continues to deny any discrimination against freedom of speech in the country.
The European Commission announced the upcoming 11th package of anti-Russian sanctions, which will be now not against Russia, but against third countries supplying sanctioned goods to the Russian Federation. Central Asian states fell under suspicion because they boosted their exports to Russia in 2022. In March, the EU Special Representative made an ‘inspection’ visit to Kyrgyzstan, and similar meetings will be held in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan at the end of April. (more…)
Residents of border areas of Kyrgyzstan, whose houses were damaged during the conflict in the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in September 2022, are still waiting for housing promised to them.
The authorities of Kyrgyzstan want to introduce another mechanism of control over non-commercial organisations. According to the draft resolution, organisers must get permission from the ministry of culture to demonstrate audio-visual materials during festivals, conferences, trainings and other events. Human rights defenders consider it a direct violation of the Constitution and ask to withdraw the document. (more…)
Some Central Asian states speak about decolonisation of the region more often. Local communities try to rethink their links to the Soviet history and culture, and also call for breaking free from the influence of Russia. Moreover, almost every country has unsolved issues that can hamper decolonisation processes.
Kyrgyzstan has over 200 thousand persons with disabilities, according to the National Statistical Committee. There is no official statistics on how many of them are able to work and how many of them have jobs or are self-employed. The law provides for a five per cent quota for persons with special needs upon employment, but it is actually not met. Even a diploma does not guarantee employment by profession.
On February 18, the head of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, gathered all his predecessors at one table in Dubai. According to him, the meeting was held for the sake of unity in the country. However, according to political analysts, the president’s motives are not that high.
In recent years, the capital of Kyrgyzstan has been on the top of global air pollution rankings every winter. Despite numerous promises by the authorities and working groups against smog, the city still suffocates, and the number of people having respiratory diseases is increasing.
During the visit of Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan put an end to the border delimitation issue. However, the release of detainees in the Kempir-Abad case may not be prompt, according to experts.
When leaving orphanages, their graduates often do not know where to go, what to do, and how to earn a living. The country does not provide post-orphanage support and housing laws are almost not working.