President Sadyr Japarov has directed Kyrgyz lawmakers to draft amendments to the country’s legislation that would reinstate the death penalty for child rape, as well as for the rape and murder of women. The initiative comes after the shocking murder of a 16-year-old girl near Lake Issyk-Kul.
Brutal Crime Near Issyk-Kul Triggers Debate
On September 27, a teenage girl from Karakol, born in 2008, went missing near Issyk-Kul. Her body was later discovered near the village of Zhel-Aryk. Investigators confirmed that she had been raped and murdered. The suspect, a previously convicted man born in 1984, was arrested in Bishkek and taken into custody.
Presidential spokesperson Askat Alagozov stated that the case is under the direct supervision of the head of state. “President Japarov deeply regrets this horrific crime that has shaken the public. He believes that crimes against children and women must not go unpunished,” Alagozov wrote.
The proposal, now published on Kyrgyzstan’s official portal for public consultation, suggests introducing capital punishment for murders committed with particular cruelty, for the killing of minors, and for murder combined with rape or other forms of sexual violence.
Death Penalty Moratorium in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan has observed a moratorium on the death penalty since December 1998. In 2007, as part of criminal law reforms, capital punishment was officially replaced with life imprisonment. Japarov’s initiative marks the first serious move in nearly two decades to restore the ultimate punishment.
“Crimes against children and women must not go unpunished,” declared President Japarov, calling for the death penalty to be reinstated.
