Kyrgyzstan’s Constitutional Court has rejected President Sadyr Japarov’s proposal to reinstate the death penalty for particularly serious crimes, including the murder and rape of children. The court reviewed the initiative on 10 December and concluded that such an amendment contradicts the Constitution and cannot be put to a referendum. All procedures related to its advancement must be halted, the court’s press service reported.
The idea to bring back capital punishment emerged after the high-profile killing of 17-year-old Aisuluu Mukasheva from the Issyk-Kul region, which sparked widespread public debate.
The court emphasized that the Constitution places human rights above all else, and the abolition of the death penalty is one of the state’s core principles. Reintroducing this measure, the judges stated, would undermine fundamental guarantees and represent a step backward in human rights protection.
The ruling also highlighted Kyrgyzstan’s international obligations. The country has ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPR, which fully prohibits the death penalty and offers no mechanism for withdrawal. Restoring it would therefore violate international law, which the Constitution prioritizes.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
December 11, 2025