Kyrgyzstan should abandon the bill criminalising “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” and adopt measures to combat discrimination against LGBTI people

Written declaration No. 595 | Doc. 13835 | 15 October 2015

Signatories:

Ms Petra De SUTTER, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Doris BARNETT, Germany, SOC ; Ms Gülsün BİLGEHAN, Turkey, SOC ; Mr Piet De BRUYN, Belgium, NR ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Namik DOKLE, Albania, SOC ; Ms Ute FINCKH-KRÄMER, Germany, SOC ; Ms Gabriela HEINRICH, Germany, SOC ; Mr Giorgi KANDELAKI, Georgia, EPP/CD ; Ms Manana KOBAKHIDZE, Georgia, SOC ; Ms Valentina LESKAJ, Albania, SOC ; Ms Inese LĪBIŅA-EGNERE, Latvia, EPP/CD ; Mr Philippe MAHOUX, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Olivia MITCHELL, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Ms Melita MULIĆ, Croatia, SOC ; Ms Carina OHLSSON, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Frithjof SCHMIDT, Germany, SOC ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Ms Birutė VĖSAITĖ, Lithuania, SOC ; Mr Klaas de VRIES, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Nataša VUČKOVIĆ, Serbia, SOC

Origin

Written declaration first published on 24 June 2015 with 22 signatures. 2015 - Fourth part-session

This written declaration does not reflect the position of the Assembly; only of those members that have signed it. It will not be considered further by the Assembly.

On 17 May 2015, aggressive groups broke into a private meeting in Bishkek celebrating the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, injuring a participant. Police, called to the scene, forcefully took the LGBTI people to a police station, where they were threatened and insulted, and held for more than five hours without access to water, food, medicines or a toilet. Some were asked to reveal their genitalia.

A 2014 report by Human Rights Watch documented extensive abuse of gay men by Kyrgyz police, including cases of arbitrary arrest, rape, beating, extortion, and a lack of accountability for these crimes.

Adoption by the Kyrgyz Parliament of a blatantly discriminatory law which would criminalise so-called “propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations” is reported to be imminent. This would serve only to intensify discrimination and violence against LGBTI people.

These developments raise grave concerns regarding Kyrgyzstan's commitment to “Partner for democracy” status. We call on the Kyrgyz Parliament to drop the proposed law, on the law-enforcement authorities to conduct thorough investigations into the behaviour of the police, and on the government to implement measures to tackle homophobic and transphobic behaviour in the police force and in society more generally.