According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, over the course of 11 months in 2025, there were 19,995 registered cases of domestic violence, which is 27.5% higher than similar figures for 2024.
During this period, 519 criminal cases were initiated, of which 328 have already been sent to court. The statistics include 31 murders, 35 cases of serious bodily harm, 28 instances of torture, and a similar number of rapes.
It is important to note that the provided data may not reflect the true scale of domestic violence in the country. Human rights defenders emphasize that many victims do not turn to law enforcement for help.
Ineffectiveness of Protection Orders
In the 11 months of the past year, law enforcement agencies issued 15,821 protection orders against individuals who committed acts of domestic violence, of which 94% were issued to men. Temporary protection orders were granted to 14,587 women, 820 men, and 414 minors.
Despite the large number of protection orders issued, their existence does not always ensure protection for victims from repeated attacks by former or current partners.
For instance, on the eve of the New Year holidays, one Kyrgyz woman became a victim of her ex-husband, who shot her six times. The incident occurred on December 23, when, according to preliminary data, the couple finalized their divorce. The woman's relatives reported that she decided to divorce due to constant violence from his side.
The investigation established that the deceased had a protection order marked "High level of threat." However, the district inspector ignored her appeals and did not ensure the woman's safety. After the tragedy, he forged documents regarding checks at the criminal's residence.
According to the law, a protection order imposes several obligations on the aggressor:
- prohibition on any contact with the victim;
- prohibition on being in the shared residence;
- prohibition on searching for the victims;
- prohibition on possessing and using weapons.
Additionally, the aggressor is required to undergo a behavior correction program. However, a recent case in Bishkek once again confirms that protection orders do not always work in practice.
Children Are Also at Risk
Statistics from the Ministry of Internal Affairs show that protection orders for children are issued in significantly smaller numbers than for women. However, this does not mean that only women suffer in families with aggressors. Violence, both physical and psychological, often affects children as well.
Deputy Gulsharкан Kultaева noted at one of the sessions of the Jogorku Kenesh that protection orders are most often issued only to women, while the consequences of violence affect the entire family. She expressed the opinion that such measures often have a formal character.
An example is the case of Aizhamal Janibekova, who faced violence from her husband after their divorce. After leaving for abroad, she lost contact with her children for a full 10 months.
“I left my husband because of his violence; I had protection orders. When this happened in front of my son, I realized that something needed to change. We ran away from him,” Aizhamal shares.
After her departure, her ex-husband took the children from school and kindergarten, and Aizhamal faced difficulties in obtaining a protection order, as the investigator did not record all the necessary details.
When she returned to Kyrgyzstan in April 2025, the court ordered the children's father to take them to a psychologist; only then could she see them.
“When we got home, the children told terrible things — their father beat them and did not feed them properly. I contacted the Internal Affairs Department, but it was very difficult to obtain a protection order,” she added.
Aizhamal filed a complaint to hold her ex-husband criminally liable, but she was denied. After appealing to the prosecutor's office, the case was reopened but ultimately stalled again.
Only after prolonged efforts were the children sent for examination; however, in January 2025, she received another notification of refusal to initiate a criminal case.
“This has been going on for 10 months. I won the court case and was able to take the children away, but their father filed a complaint. I hope the court makes the right decision so that my children no longer suffer,” she concluded.
Despite this, Aizhamal is concerned that the police do not initiate criminal cases, and the abuser remains unpunished, threatening the safety of the children.
Aizhamal believes that protection orders do not provide safety for either women or children, as there is no real accountability for their violation.
The Need for Reforms
Despite the issuance of more than 15,000 protection orders over 11 months in 2025, only 5,056 protocols were drawn up under Article 70 "Domestic Violence," and only 1,733 cases led to court decisions.
Former ombudsman Atyr Abdrakhmatova emphasizes the need to strengthen control over the enforcement of protection orders and improve work with protocols.
“There are no legal consequences from obtaining a protection order. Only after a protocol on the offense is drawn up, which confirms the fact of violence, can we talk about real consequences for the aggressor. This procedure does not work properly in our country,” she notes.
Current legislative initiatives are correct, but their implementation leaves much to be desired. It is important for law enforcement agencies to conduct a risk assessment for the victim and children when receiving reports of violence.
According to Atyr Abdrakhmatova, the digitization of processes, as well as promised measures such as panic buttons, will help respond quickly to cases of domestic violence and prevent tragedies.
Every case of violence, even the slightest, can lead to serious consequences if measures are not taken in time.
