It was noted that recent cases of the brutal murders of women and children have shocked society. In this regard, the country's president, concerned about the rising statistics of such crimes, took control of the case regarding the murder of a 17-year-old girl from Karakol and instructed the responsible authorities to propose amendments to the legislation concerning the possibility of applying the death penalty for crimes such as child rape and murders related to rape.
From October 13 to 28, 2025, public discussions were held on the draft laws of the Kyrgyz Republic "On Amendments to the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic" and "On the Recognition of the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic 'On the Accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Aiming at Abolishing the Death Penalty,' adopted by UN General Assembly resolution 44/128 on December 15, 1989." Following the discussions, the majority of participants expressed opposition to the restoration of the death penalty.
On December 2, 2025, President Sadyr Japarov submitted the draft law to the Constitutional Court of the Kyrgyz Republic for an official opinion.
On December 10, 2025, the Constitutional Court, based on a combination of constitutional and international norms, established that the restoration of the death penalty through a constitutional amendment is inadmissible and does not comply with the Constitution. As a result, the draft Law "On Amendments to the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic" will not be put to a referendum, and all procedures related to this initiative will cease from the moment the conclusion of the Constitutional Court comes into force.
Kyrgyzstan, as a rule of law state, will continue to diligently fulfill all its international obligations while also continuing work on amending national legislation regarding the tightening of penalties for crimes against children and women.
