Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture concluded its official visit to Kyrgyzstan for High-Level Talks

The UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture (SPT), concluding its official visit to Kyrgyzstan for High-Level Talks, expressed its regret over the Parliament’s recent decision to abolish the country’s independent torture prevention body — the National Centre for the Prevention of Torture (NCPT) — without any public consultation or transparency or indeed a plan as to how the Ombuds Institution, which is to take over from the NCPT, is to fulfil this mandate.

The SPT delegation, visiting Kyrgyzstan from 25 to 27 June, was composed of Elina Šteinerte (Head of Delegation and Vice-Chair for National Preventive Mechanisms) and Nika Kvaratskhelia (Country Rapporteur for Kyrgyzstan).

During the visit, the delegation took part in a round table discussion on “The role and place of the National Centre for the Prevention of Torture in Kyrgyzstan’s anti-torture system”, held on 26 June — the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. Organized by the NCPT in cooperation with UN Human Rights Central Asia, the event brought together parliamentarians, representatives of state institutions, civil society, international partners, and other stakeholders for an open dialogue on national and international obligations to prevent torture.

“On the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, we pay tribute to National Preventive Mechanisms who stand at the forefront of preventing torture. Today, however, we are deeply concerned by Kyrgyzstan’s decision to dismantle its NPM — a major step back in the fight against torture,” said Elina Šteinerte, referring to the Parliament’s adoption on 25 June of the new Constitutional Law “On the Akyikatchy (Ombudsman) of the Kyrgyz Republic,” which effectively dissolves the NCPT.

The delegation also held high-level meetings with Deputy Chair of the Cabinet of Ministers Edil Baisalov, Deputy Minister of Justice Kuban Kazakov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Asein Isaev, and the Ombudsperson Dzhamilia Dzhamanbaeva.

In the meeting with Edil Baisalov, the SPT emphasized the importance of ensuring that the new Constitutional Law does not weaken the State’s ability to uphold its obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture (OPCAT), particularly in safeguarding the functional, financial, and institutional independence of the National Preventive Mechanism. Edil Baysalov emphasized that the country consistently fulfills its international obligations in this area. 

Established in 2012, the NCPT has served as Kyrgyzstan’s National Preventive Mechanism since the country acceded to OPCAT in 2008, playing a key role in monitoring places of detention and working to prevent torture and ill-treatment nationwide.