Criminal
Death penalty abolished; codes rewritten in 2019 and reversed in 2021
Capital punishment was abolished constitutionally in 2007 and by protocol accession. A modernising 2019 Criminal Code was largely repealed in 2021, returning much of the 1997 approach.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — District courts, regional courts on appeal, Supreme Court on cassation.
- Deadline — Detention limited to 48 hours before a judge must rule on custody
- Deadline — Appeal within 30 days of the judgment
Governing law
- Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic2021
- Criminal Procedure Code2021
- Second Optional Protocol to the ICCPRacceded 2010
Penalties and consequences
- Life imprisonment as the maximum penalty; no death penalty
- Imprisonment, fines, community service and property confiscation
In practice
The 2019 codes had reduced the use of imprisonment, introduced a misdemeanour tier and expanded probation; their repeal in 2021 was justified on enforcement grounds but reversed several liberalising reforms. Torture remains a distinct offence and a National Centre for the Prevention of Torture inspects detention, though impunity findings recur in treaty-body reporting. Trial is by professional judges; jury trial is provided for constitutionally but has not been implemented.