Kyrgyzstan
15 Articles
Distorted Laws on “Foreign Agents” Threaten Democracy: Mobilizing a Response
Civil society can share knowledge, boost public support, and build coalitions to resist the spread of autocratic "foreign agents" laws.
Attacks on U.S. Legal Profession Reflect Global Slide in Countries It Once Aided
Political pressures like those used to silence legal professionals and undermine rule of law in Europe and Eurasia echo patterns of the autocratic playbook.
Why the ICC Should Respect Immunities of Heads of Third States
International courts must respect international law, also in dire times. The International Criminal Court’s denial of immunity to heads of third States does not.
The Spreading Impact of Restrictive ‘Foreign Agent’ Laws and How to Stop Them
Such measures not only gut civil society as incubators of citizen involvement and connection with government, they spill beyond borders.
Journalist in Exile Laments Kyrgyzstan Crackdown, Now Extending to His 12-Year-Old Son
Bolot Temirov on the personal cost of the country's repression of media and civil society, as democracy gives way to authoritarianism.
Protect Democracy by Defending its Defenders
In the face of global attacks on democracy, its defenders, led by democratic governments, should work together to map existing initiatives and assess what groups are left uncovered…
The US Can — and Must — Counter Russian Influence Undermining Kyrgyzstan’s Democratic Progress
The latest sign of backsliding is a draft "foreign agents" law modeled after one that gutted civil society in Russia.
Openings for Biden in the Inaugural US-Central Asia Summit at UNGA
Russia and China notwithstanding, serious ties should balance interests in regional cooperation, civil society, and security assistance.
From ‘Island of Democracy’ to ‘Consolidated Authoritarian Regime’: The Need to Reverse Kyrgyzstan’s Slide
Effects of internal corruption and opaque institutions spill beyond borders, even to the war in Ukraine. Cases show the risks and the hope.
Lawyers Under Threat: Highlighting Their Plight
The annual Day of the Endangered Lawyer focuses attention on an increasingly frequent tool of autocrats: targeting their opponents' lawyers.
High-Level US Attention Needed for a Backsliding Democracy in Central Asia
Voters in Kyrgyzstan approved a referendum on April 11 that expands the president’s powers and threatens the most vibrant civil society in the region.
National Security at the United Nations This Week (Oct. 2 – 9)
WFP wins the Nobel Peace Prize; new PM appointed in Mali; conflict continues in Nagorno-Karabakh; and countries split on China's human rights record.