He noted that Kyrgyzstan abolished the death penalty in 2007 and later, in 2010, ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. According to him, any changes to the constitution in this area could lead to the country withdrawing from its international commitments.
Nacho Sánchez Amor also emphasized that the approval of the relevant amendments would be a significant step backward in the field of human rights and could bring Kyrgyzstan back among the countries that reapply the death penalty. He believes that the proposed measures do not address the root problems of gender-based violence and may increase the likelihood of imposing the ultimate punishment.
Furthermore, he reminded that human rights are an important aspect of the Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the EU and Kyrgyzstan (EPCA). In this regard, the parliamentarian is interested in whether the European Commission will consider the possibility of invoking Article 316 of the EPCA to suspend the agreement if the Kyrgyz authorities ultimately approve the reinstatement of the death penalty.
