Kyrgyzstan - May 2025

President Sadyr Japarov signed a law on 29 May requiring all trials to be recorded on video, for the recordings to be made available to all parties involved in the proceedings. The failure to make recordings available will also be grounds for appeal. The law will also allow for parties to a case to petition the court for a trial to be livestreamed online or broadcast on radio or television. Defence attorneys and rights advocates see the law, should it be fully and properly implemented, to be a step forward for justice in a country where judicial proceedings are frequently conducted behind closed doors and over the objections of the accused.  

Sources: EurasiaNet, Kaktus Media, President of Kyrgyzstan