One of the key topics of discussion was the amendments to the Constitution regarding the potential introduction of the death penalty, as well as the draft law concerning the repeal of the Law on Accession to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Jamilya Jamambaeva noted that according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the number of crimes against women and children in the country increases by 30% annually. At the same time, 64.1% of all appeals to the Ombudsman Institute in 2024 were related to the work of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies.
She emphasized: "We understand that society reacts emotionally to cases of violence; however, the return of the death penalty is not a solution to this problem. It is important to improve the quality of investigations, ensure the inevitability of punishment, and strengthen preventive measures."
The Ombudsman also reminded that in 2023, the Ombudsman Institute had already expressed its opinion regarding the appeal of a group of deputies to the Constitutional Court requesting a review of the ban on the highest measure of punishment. The Institute still believes that the restoration of the death penalty would contradict Kyrgyzstan's international obligations, especially the provisions of the Second Optional Protocol, which was ratified by the country in 2010.
Support for the Ombudsman's position was expressed by representatives of the UN system, pointing out that the return of the death penalty not only contradicts Kyrgyzstan's international obligations but could also negatively affect its reputation as a state that protects human rights.
Antje Grave, the UN Resident Coordinator, added: "If this change is implemented, the country will significantly distance itself from its international obligations. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Second Optional Protocol do not contain provisions for denunciation. The abolition of the death penalty has legal irreversibility for countries that have signed these agreements."
