Kyrgyzstan to reinstate death penalty for crimes against women, children

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (MNTV) — Kyrgyzstan is preparing to reinstate the death penalty for crimes against women and children, breaking with nearly two decades of abolition and aligning with rising calls for harsher punishment after the murder of a teenage girl.

President Sadyr Japarov has ordered legislation that would make the rape of minors, and rape followed by murder, punishable by execution. The proposal follows widespread public anger over the killing, which has intensified scrutiny of the state’s handling of gender-based violence.

Kyrgyzstan ended executions in law nearly two decades ago, joining a regional move away from capital punishment after Uzbekistan banned it in 1999 and Kazakhstan and Tajikistan imposed long-term moratoriums. 

Reinstating the practice would mark a sharp break, but also reflects rising public anger over gender-based crimes and frustration with enforcement gaps.

The pressure to act is not unique to Kyrgyzstan. Across Central Asia, governments are toughening penalties in response to public demands. Uzbekistan recently extended prison terms for sexual offenses involving minors and debated legislation to target child exploitation. 

Such measures reflect a broader regional struggle to balance human rights reforms with calls for stricter deterrence.

Analysts say Bishkek’s decision underscores the political weight of public anger in shaping legal reforms. While rights groups warn that executions risk undermining long-standing commitments, officials argue the move responds directly to citizens’ demands for stronger justice in cases of violence against women and children.

If approved, the draft legislation would represent the most significant change to Kyrgyzstan’s penal code in nearly two decades, reintroducing a punishment the country had formally set aside but never fully erased from public debate.