12 March 2026
New Old Kazakhstan
On 15th March 2026, Kazakhstan will hold a nationwide referendum in which voters will decide whether to adopt a new Constitution proposed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. The proposed Constitution marks a significant departure from the current 1995 one: amendments affect 77 articles, or over 80% of the current Constitution. The official reason for the amendments is to move away from consolidated presidential governance; however, the proposed Constitution might have the opposite effect. Continue reading >>
0 
21 October 2025
The Slow Death of Human Rights
Following several egregious crimes against women and children, Kyrgyzstan’s President Sadyr Japarov publicly suggested that the death penalty might be restored. Politically, this statement can be considered a populist response to capitalise on the public outrage over gender-based violence. But beneath this political rhetoric lies a multi-faceted legal question: Kyrgyzstan abolished the death penalty almost twenty years ago, binding itself under international law to permanent abolition. In light of this, the Kyrgyz Republic can neither legally nor reputationally afford to reverse this course. Continue reading >>30 October 2020