Kyrgyzstan: Parliament Weakens Torture Protection, Media Freedom

By Human Rights Watch

Click to expand Image The parliament (Supreme Council) of the Kyrgyz Republic. Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. © Mariusz Prusaczyk via Getty Images (Bishkek, June 27, 2025) – Kyrgyzstan’s parliament on June 25, 2025, passed two draft laws that threaten to significantly weaken media freedom and protection against torture in the country, Human Rights Watch said today.The draft Law on the Ombudsman effectively dismantles the independent National Center for the Prevention of Torture by merging it with the office of the Ombudsman. The draft Law on Mass Media grants authorities wide powers to…

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