Kyrgyzstan’s civil society, National Penitentiary Service lobby for improved conditions for life-term prisoners
A roundtable discussion on a new vision for prisons in Kyrgyzstan was organized in Bishkek on 14 February 2011 by the OSCE Centre in Bishkek, the National Penitentiary Service and Citizens against Corruption, a human rights organization.
The discussion focused on how to improve conditions for life-term prisoners. The participants discussed the possibility of receiving funds from the 2011 national budget for the construction of a new facility for life-term prisoners.
Representatives of civil society joined with the National Penitentiary Service to lobby for a bigger share for the penitentiary system within the budget, which is currently being discussed by Kyrgyzstan’s Parliament.
Around 60 Members of Parliament, officials from ministries and law enforcement bodies, representatives of the German and French Embassies, civil society and international organizations participated in the meeting.
The head of the National Penitentiary Service presented the results of monitoring research, conducted by civil society organizations in penitentiary establishments in Kyrgyzstan in December 2010 and January 2011.
The event participants agreed about the need to continue discussions involving civil society and parliamentarians in order to facilitate penitentiary system reform.
The event was part of a project to promote the rule of law in Kyrgyzstan’s penitentiary system, funded by the Permanent Mission of Finland to the OSCE.