Photo: zhaikpress.kz
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has signed amendments to the Code of Offenses, introducing fines for defamation and insults on the internet and in the mass media, the presidential press service reported.
The Administrative Code has been supplemented with Article 107-1, which establishes liability for defamatory or insulting statements made in the media, on websites, or web pages.
Violators will face the following fines:
✅ For individuals – 200 calculation indicators: 20,000 Kyrgyz soms ($230)
✅ For legal entities – 650 calculation indicators: 65,000 Kyrgyz soms ($747)
Under the amendments, law enforcement agencies, rather than the Ministry of Culture (which regulates the media), will be responsible for documenting violations. Cases will then be reviewed by the courts.
The law, signed by Japarov, was published in the state newspaper «Erkin-Too» on January 31 and will take effect in ten days.
The bill was proposed by the Ministry of Culture, citing a rise in online defamation cases as the reason for its introduction. Initially, the Parliament considered higher fines—100,000 Kyrgyz soms ($1,150) for individuals and 200,000 Kyrgyz soms ($2,300) for organizations—but they were reduced after heated debates and public criticism on social media.
Many experts and civil society organizations have criticized the law.
The Adilet Legal Clinic argues that the law contradicts the Constitution and could lead to abuse of power.
MP Dastan Bekeshev called the measure a «tax on speech», warning that it could be used to suppress public criticism.
