Kyrgyzstan proposes up to 14 days' arrest for domestic violence

Kyrgyzstan has proposed tougher penalties for domestic violence, and a draft bill is open for public discussion. Under changes to the Code of Offences, physical violence within the family would become a separate part of Article 70 and carry arrest of 7 to 14 days where no criminal signs are present. Psychological and economic violence, threats, stalking and neglect would keep the existing penalty of 40 hours of community service or 3 to 7 days of arrest.

Police would be allowed to seize weapons from an alleged aggressor on the spot, without waiting for a court ruling. Weapons would initially be confiscated for up to one month, and a court could extend this to three months. Courts could ban offenders from consuming alcohol, narcotic and psychotropic substances and, in cases of repeat violence and high risk, must refer them to a correctional programme. Detention could be extended to 48 hours for persons threatening others' lives or health, but they must be brought before a court within 24 hours.

The Criminal Code would punish domestic violence causing minor harm with 40 to 100 hours of community service or up to two years in prison. The rape article would state that lack of voluntary consent is decisive and that absence of physical resistance is not consent. The authors cite Interior Ministry data showing 14,020 domestic violence reports in 2023, 18,081 in 2024 and 23,516 in 2025, a 67.7% rise over two years.