Foreign Agents Law Approved in Second Reading
Kyrgyzstan Parliament adopts bill on non-governmental organizations in the second reading
The Parliament of Kyrgyzstan has approved a bill on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the second reading at a meeting on February 22, 2024. A total of 64 deputies voted in favor of the bill, while 5 voted against it.
It is important to note that during the meeting of the Committee on Constitutional Legislation, State Structure, Judicial, Legal Issues, and Regulations of the Parliament on February 20, the initiator of the draft law on NGOs, Nadira Narmatova, announced the removal of the provision on criminal liability from the document.
On October 25, 2023, the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan adopted changes to the Law on NGOs and the Criminal Code in the first reading, which were initiated by Nadira Narmatova and a group of deputies. These changes introduced the concept of “foreign representative,” which is analogous to a foreign agent in Russian legislation. The document was subsequently adopted in the second reading at a meeting of the relevant committee on January 23, 2024.
Nadira Narmatova, the initiator of the amendments, had proposed the introduction of Article 200-1 “Creation of a non-profit organization that infringes on the personality and rights of citizens” into the Criminal Code. This article would have imposed punishments including imprisonment for up to three years for violations, and up to five years for active participation in the activities of such organizations, as well as for the propaganda of their actions. However, this initiative was opposed by the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the Ombudsman.
The approval of the bill on NGOs in the second reading signifies an important step in the regulation of non-governmental organizations in Kyrgyzstan. The removal of the provision on criminal liability has been met with both support and opposition, and it remains to be seen how the bill will continue to evolve in subsequent readings and deliberations.
