The President of Kyrgyzstan Rejects the Bill to Decriminalize Polygamy: A Commitment to Equality and Family Protection

The President of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, rejected the ratification of legislative amendments that Parliament had approved in late June, which aimed to decriminalize polygamy, returning the bill to the "Supreme Council" accompanied by a detailed document outlining his objections.

Japarov based his position on reports issued by governmental, judicial, and scientific bodies, including the Human Rights Commission, the Public Prosecutor's Office, the Constitutional Court, the National Agency for Religious Affairs, and the Ministry of Justice. These entities confirmed that maintaining the penalty aligns with Kyrgyzstan's international obligations, preserves the principles of gender equality, and protects women and children from forms of discrimination and social inequality, in addition to its role in strengthening the institution of family.

Kyrgyz law penalizes polygamy, or marrying more than one woman at the same time, by imposing corrective measures or significant financial fines, within a legislative policy that sees the protection of family structure and legal equality as requiring a clear legal deterrent.

This decision reflects a political and social trend in Kyrgyzstan to maintain the current legal system, in the face of legislative proposals that could bring about fundamental changes in social values and norms.