Kyrgyzstan adopts law targeting foreign-funded NGOs

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on Tuesday signed into law a bill tightening state control over foreign-funded non-governmental organisations (NGOs), which
human rights bodies and groups have criticised as restrictive.
The law, which uses provisions and language similar to that of the 2012 Russian law on “foreign agents”, introduces additional reporting obligations on NGOs with foreign funding that are engaged in “political” activities.
It also gives the Central Asian nation’s authorities greater oversight powers and provides for criminal sanctions in the event of non-compliance.
The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe warned in February that passing the bill “would have an overwhelmingly negative impact on civil society, human rights defenders, and the media in Kyrgyzstan”.