What changed

B100228/2024

B100222/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on Humanhuman rights situation in Kyrgyzstan, in particular the case of Temirlan Sultanbekov

(2024/2993(RSP))

The European Parliament,

- having regard to itsRule previous150 resolutionsof onits Kyrgyzstan,Rules of Procedure,

- having regard to Rules 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

whereas the human rights situation in Kyrgyzstan has significantly deteriorated in 2024, with the crackdown on critical voices and the restrictions on media freedom and freedom of expression;

A. whereas human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Kyrgyz Republic have degraded in recent years, seeing the republic’s steady transformation away from being Central Asia’s beacon of democracy;

whereas Temirlan Sultanbekov, leader of the Social Democrats party, campaign manager Irina Karamushkina and party member Roza Tyurksever were arrested on 13 November, a few days before local elections were held in Bishkek; whereas, following the arrests, the Bishkek Territorial Election Commission disqualified all the party's municipal candidates; whereas the three detainees were remanded in custody until 13 January 2025; whereas Sultanbekov has started a hunger strike in protest and his health is deteriorating;

B. whereas major constitutional changes adopted in 2021 significantly increased presidential authority and reduce the size and role of the parliament; whereas both the judiciary and vigilante violence are increasingly used to suppress political opponents and civil society critics;

whereas Sultanbekov's case is part of a larger pattern of human rights violations in Kyrgyzstan; whereas several journalists, bloggers, and human rights defenders (HRD) including women rights defenders, have been detained and some media have been closed;

C. whereas the decline has thereby prompted Freedom House in 2021 to designate Kyrgyzstan as ‘not free’ in the Global Freedom Score, for the first time since 2010;

whereas the Kyrgyzstani authorities have adopted in the last year repressive legislations, including a law against so-called foreign representatives that criminalizes HRDs and a law that criminalizes the “non-traditional sexual relations", stigmatizing LGBTQI people; whereas the authorities have continued to abuse security laws on so-called “incitement of mass civic unrest,” to crackdown on HRDs and journalists;

D. whereas on November 15, the Sverdlovsky District Court placed Kyrgyzstan Social Democrats party leader Temirlan Sultanbekov, chief campaigner Irina Karamushkina and party member Roza Turksever in the pre-trial detention centre, until January 2025, arrested on vote buying allegations;

Condemns the shrinking of civic space in Kyrgyzstan and the attacks on dissenting voices;

E. whereas the Bishkek Territorial Election Commission subsequently disqualified all of the Social Democrats party's municipal candidates ahead of municipal elections;

Urges the Kyrgyz authorities to immediately release arbitrarily detained members of the opposition, human rights defenders, journalists and bloggers, in particular Temirlan Sultanbekov, Irina Karamushkina, and Roza Tyurksever;

F. whereas this is not the first time the Kyrgyz administration has sought to neutralize opposition parties; whereas in 2022 the Ata-Meken party was appeased by appointing its leader, Omurbek Tekebayev as an ambassador, while in March this year Adakhan Madumarov, leader of Butun Kyrgyzstan party, lost his seat in parliament on a decade-old treason charge;

Urges the authorities to abide by their international human rights obligations and respect freedom of expression, of association and of peaceful assembly, the independence of the judiciary and the right to a fair trial and to a due process for all ;

G. whereas in 2024 an unprecedented attack on media and civil society continued to take place, with the Kyrgyz Supreme Court decision to upheld the liquidation of acclaimed investigative outlet Kloop Media and, in October, the conviction of four journalists from the independent You Tube channels Temirov Live and Ait Ait Dese reportedly on unsupported evidence and seen by international human rights organisations as an attempt to muzzle independent journalism;

Calls on Kyrgyzstan authorities to create and maintain, in law and in practice, a safe environment for civil society organisations, journalists and media workers, and politicians, enabling them to carry out their legitimate and useful work without undue interference, criminalisation, censorship or persecution;

1. Calls on the Kyrgyz authorities to ensure that its laws and practices relating to democratic discourse, civil and political rights, freedom of speech and media are aligned with international standards, including the EU-Kyrgyzstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement;

Urges the authorities to ensure the full enjoyment of electoral rights by everyone, and that all political parties can conduct an equal, free and transparent electoral campaign and enable the organisation of free and fair election;

2. Urges the Kyrgyz government to halt its campaign of intimidation and legal persecution against opposition parties, independent media outlets and journalists;

Strongly calls on the Kyrgyz authorities to withdraw or repeal repressive laws that limit freedom of expression, political freedoms, and the legitimate activities of civil society and those that criminalize the expression of dissent;

3. Calls on the Kyrgyz authorities to immediately release all arbitrarily detained politicians, human rights defenders, media workers and journalists; urges the Kyrgyz authorities, in this regard, to drop all charges against Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy, Azamat Ishenbekov, Aktilek Kaparov, and Ayke Beishekeeva, journalists from Temirov Live and Ait Ait Dese channels;

Underlines the need for a EU-Central Asia strategy based on mutually beneficial cooperation and also designed, implemented and monitored in line with human rights and the Sustainable Development Goals, and in cooperation with local civil society organisations, including women rights organisations, environmental activists and trade unions;

4. Urges the Kyrgyz authorities to reverse its ruling on Kloop Media and other critical voices, allowing Kloop and all other independent news sources to operate without interference or fear of retaliation or reprisals;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the EU institutions, Member States, and the Government and Parliament of Kyrgyzstan.

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the EU Special Representative for Central Asia, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the UN Human Rights Council and the Kyrgyz authorities.