Kyrgyzstan - April 2023
Ban on protests extended
The latest challenge to end the ban on rallies and protest in central Bishkek was denied by Kyrgyzstan’s Supreme Court on 29 April. The ban was instituted in March 2022, apparently to prevent rallies against Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on the city’s Ala-Too Square or near the Russian embassy. The ban has been repeatedly extended despite domestic and international criticism and legal challenges, and the national Ombudsman Atyr Abdrakhmatova has argued it is unconstitutional.
Sources: Human Rights Watch, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (1), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (2)
