MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Human rights situation in Kyrgyzstan, in particular the case of Temirlan Sultanbekov

B10‑0228/2024

Motion for a European Parliament resolution on Human rights situation in Kyrgyzstan, in particular the case of Temirlan Sultanbekov

(2024/2993(RSP))

The European Parliament,

-  having regard to its previous resolutions on Kyrgyzstan,

-  having regard to Rules 150(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas human rights and fundamental freedoms in the Kyrgyz Republic have degraded in recent years, seeing the republic’s steady transformation away from being Central Asia’s beacon of democracy;

B. whereas major constitutional changes adopted in 2021 significantly increased presidential authority and reduce the size and role of the parliament; whereas both the judiciary and vigilante violence are increasingly used to suppress political opponents and civil society critics;

C. whereas the decline has thereby prompted Freedom House in 2021 to designate Kyrgyzstan as ‘not free’ in the Global Freedom Score, for the first time since 2010;

D.  whereas on November 15, the Sverdlovsky District Court placed Kyrgyzstan Social Democrats party leader Temirlan Sultanbekov, chief campaigner Irina Karamushkina and party member Roza Turksever in the pre-trial detention centre, until January 2025, arrested on vote buying allegations;

E.  whereas the Bishkek Territorial Election Commission subsequently disqualified all of the Social Democrats party's municipal candidates ahead of municipal elections;

F.  whereas this is not the first time the Kyrgyz administration has sought to neutralize opposition parties; whereas in 2022 the Ata-Meken party was appeased by appointing its leader, Omurbek Tekebayev as an ambassador, while in March this year Adakhan Madumarov, leader of Butun Kyrgyzstan party, lost his seat in parliament on a decade-old treason charge;

G.  whereas in 2024 an unprecedented attack on media and civil society continued to take place, with the Kyrgyz Supreme Court decision to upheld the liquidation of acclaimed investigative outlet Kloop Media and, in October, the conviction of four journalists from the independent You Tube channels Temirov Live and Ait Ait Dese reportedly on unsupported evidence and seen by international human rights organisations as an attempt to muzzle independent journalism;

1. Calls on the Kyrgyz authorities to ensure that its laws and practices relating to democratic discourse, civil and political rights, freedom of speech and media are aligned with international standards, including the EU-Kyrgyzstan Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement;

2. Urges the Kyrgyz government to halt its campaign of intimidation and legal persecution against opposition parties, independent media outlets and journalists;

3. Calls on the Kyrgyz authorities to immediately release all arbitrarily detained politicians, human rights defenders, media workers and journalists; urges the Kyrgyz authorities, in this regard, to drop all charges against Makhabat Tazhibek Kyzy, Azamat Ishenbekov, Aktilek Kaparov, and Ayke Beishekeeva, journalists from Temirov Live and Ait Ait Dese channels;

4. Urges the Kyrgyz authorities to reverse its ruling on Kloop Media and other critical voices, allowing Kloop and all other independent news sources to operate without   interference or fear of retaliation or reprisals;

5. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the EU Special Representative for Central Asia, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the UN Human Rights Council and the Kyrgyz authorities.