The punishment for the rape and murder of children and women is once again proposed to be tightened.

Виктор Сизов • 19.02.2026, 13:00 • Local news

The proposed amendments to the Criminal Code of Kyrgyzstan have been published for discussion. The draft law contains significant changes.

The initiators point out that the right to life is fundamental according to the Constitution and international legal acts. This right is protected by law, and no one can be arbitrarily deprived of life.

In Kyrgyzstan, there is an increase in serious crimes against children and women, including rapes and murders, which raises serious concerns among both the population and the authorities.

Statistical data indicate that protecting children and women from serious crimes remains a pressing issue. Moreover, official figures do not reflect the full scale of violence against children. The rise in cases of violence against women and children is becoming a worrying trend, and many crimes remain unreported.

Meanwhile, reports of violence published in the media are becoming commonplace, which is alarming. Society is beginning to perceive this as normal, and that is frightening. It is necessary to establish clear boundaries beyond which individuals committing violent acts against children and women should be excluded from society and subjected to severe punishment, the authors of the amendments assert.

In light of the increase in serious crimes that cause irreparable harm to the lives of children and their families, it is proposed to amend the Criminal Code to provide for punishment in the form of life imprisonment with confiscation of property for the following crimes:

murder committed in connection with rape or violent satisfaction of sexual desire in other forms (paragraph 8 of part 2 of Article 122);
rape committed against a child under the age of 14 or a person with a disability (part 4 of Article 154).

Additionally, it is proposed to abolish the statute of limitations for murders:

of two or more persons;
of a pregnant woman;
of a person in a helpless state or a child;
of persons performing official duties;
for hooligan motives;
dangerous to the lives of many people;
with particular cruelty;
in connection with kidnapping or hostage-taking;
in connection with robbery;
on the grounds of racial or religious hatred;
for mercenary motives;
with the aim of extracting organs or tissues from the victim;
with the aim of concealing another crime;
in a group;
by prior conspiracy;
by an organized group;
as part of a criminal community;
in connection with rape or violent satisfaction of sexual desire in other forms.

It should be noted that President Sadyr Japarov has expressed a desire to reinstate the death penalty in the country for particularly serious crimes against women and children. This initiative was prompted by the murder of 17-year-old Aysulu Mukasheva, who was kidnapped and raped on September 27 in the Issyk-Kul region, which caused widespread public outcry. However, in mid-October, a group of international human rights organizations condemned this initiative, stating that the reinstatement of the death penalty violates the Constitution of Kyrgyzstan and the country’s international obligations, and would not lead to a reduction in the level of violence. Later, the Constitutional Court deemed the reinstatement of the death penalty in the country unacceptable.

The photo on the main page is illustrative.

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