Introduction

 In the post-Soviet space, Kyrgyzstan has always been known as a state with the highest level of democratic freedoms. Among them, one can speak about the right of citizens to peaceful assembly. However, during the post-revolution period since 2005, the situation began to change. As of today, it could be argued that citizens of Kyrgyzstan are being deprived of this important right.

 Supporters of "terminating protest bacchanalias" argue that more than two and a half thousand political meetings held in Kyrgyzstan during 2005-2009, pose a threat to the security of the State. Therefore, their organization should be strictly regulated at the legislative level. The authorities and supporters of termination are confident that the Kyrgyz should become law-abiding citizens, which, according to their opinion, means the tightening of legislation.

 The opposition and the NGO sector are convinced that the restriction of the right to assembly may lead to serious deterioration in the socio-political situation in the country. Besides, this situation could lead to strong confrontation between the authorities and civil society; the consequences of which are unpredictable.

 We already can see the consequences of the introduced legislation, regulating the right to peaceful assembly. These include regular cases of detention of human rights activists and opposition supporters during their peaceful gatherings. The authorities detain them using their power, referring to the unauthorized organization of meetings.  They impose administrative fines which leads to inevitable growth of discontent among the civil sector and the society as a whole.

 This paper has attempted to show the attitude of the society towards the legislative amendments, regulating peaceful assembly and to make expert recommendations on avoiding confrontation between the authorities and civil society.

 Attempts to regulate the right to peaceful assembly have succeeded

 A striking example, demonstrating that the situation with the right of citizens to peaceful assembly in Kyrgyzstan has worsened, is the adoption in 2008 of the bill "On the Right of Cght of c8 of the bill "On the rdtalizeditizens to Assemble Peacefully, Without Arms, to Freely Hold Rallies and Demonstrations." A Jogorku Kenesh deputy, the Communist faction leader, Iskhak Masaliev, initiated it.

 On 15 April 2008, the Jogorku Kenesh Committee on Constitutional Legislation approved this bill, which stipulated that local authorities and the authorized bodies had the right to refuse citizens in the organization of rallies and public events.

 On 26 May, 2008, the Jogorku Kenesh Committee on defense, rule of law and legal reform, approved the bill with the amendments to the Law "On the Right of Citizens to Assemble Peacefully, Without Arms, to Freely Hold Rallies and Demonstrations." After that, the bill was tabled in the House, which adopted it during the first reading on June 13, 2008.

 It should be noted that the law, designed by Masaliev, provides for the organization of peaceful gatherings exclusively in strictly allocated places. Besides, organizers are required to inform local authorities ten days before the planned gathering and wait for permission from the authorities. Otherwise, the event will be considered unsanctioned.

 In this context, we should mention that similar attempts to restrict the freedom of peaceful assembly have already happened earlier. On 5 December 2007, the Bishkek City Hall adopted the document "On the Right of Citizens to Participate in Peaceful Meetings." In accordance with this document, the City Council required all organizers to inform the City of their actions 10 days before the planned date of gatherings. This document legalized the holding of peaceful assemblies in Bishkek only in two places: in Gorky Park and the park of Batken Events Heroes. In the case of protest meetings in other places, the City Council reserved the right to suppress them.

 Explaining his motivation to develop a bill on peaceful assembly, the leader of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan, Iskhak Masaliev, said that he pursued the aim of maintaining stability in the state.

 "I initiated the amendments for the reason that I was simply tired of protest passions. I am not satisfied with permissiveness, when people are gathered without any solid reason, block off streets and create problems for me and citizens of our city. Blocking off the traffic is a prohibited act. But, unfortunately, it has become our routine. Therefore, such protest rallies should be restricted," said Iskhak Masaliev.

 This Parliament member is confident that the amendments proposed by him do not conflict with the Constitution. He stresses that the country's Principal Law provides for the right to peaceful assembly, but it does not say that meetings could be held anywhere and anytime. Thus, according to Masaliev, any right is provided by the Constitution and regulated by relevant laws.

 "Protest meetings in no way should be near the highways or different agencies, and of course, protest meetings should not be held on the central square of Bishkek. In fact, nobody would hold a protest meeting in front of the Buckingham palace, for example. A small group of protesters in no way shall violate the rights of other citizens to peaceful and calm life," said Iskhak Masaliev, immediately after the approval of his amendment in the Jogorku Kenesh.

 A representative of the faction "Ak Jol" in the Parliament, Zainidin Kurmanov, commenting on the introduction of regulation of the right to peaceful assembly, made a statement that the vast majority of ordinary people supports these legislative amendments, as such political actions disturb their peaceful life.

 "Requirements of free demonstrations and their exclusively notifying procedure is a requirement of the west-European civilization, which was built on liberal values. However, in Kyrgyzstan, the society has not yet reached such a level of maturity and development. We are much lower. Naturally, the opposition part of the society is protesting against these things. However, I believe that legislative rules regulating peaceful demonstrations, is fully consistent with today's political, social and cultural realities. Besides, it corresponds with the current psychology of our society," Kurmanov said.

 In his turn, another deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh, the leader of the faction "Ak Jol," Ulugbek Ormonov believes that the population is indifferent to the issue of new legislation regulating the conduct of peaceful demonstrations, and this matter is important only for the opponents of the authorities who gain political points by criticizing such initiatives.

 "Opponents of these initiatives are wrong when claiming that people are also against them. The people are indifferent to this matter; on the contrary, they have begun to gradually understand the importance of quiet and peaceful life. For example, when I visit the regions, I see that people everywhere are striving to improve their lives, raise the economy, and nobody thinks about quitting their jobs and spend all their efforts for participation in the protests," believes Ulugbek Ormonov.

 On February 13, 2009, Kurmanbek Bakiev signed the law "On the Universal Military Conscription of Citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Military and the Alternative Services," which, according to human rights activists, provides the Armed Forces of the country with the right to participate in the repression of peaceful rallies and gatherings along with law enforcement agencies. Meanwhile, the press release of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic, issued on 12 December, focused on this law, emphasizing that the law had only one goal - to create a basis for a professional army.

 The Parliament approved this law on December 26, 2008.

 The military and law enforcers tried to reassure the public and gave their own explanations about how to interpret the adopted law.

 The Head of the Media and Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Defense of KR, Colonel Murat Ashirbekov said that the adoption of this Law aims only at "protecting the rights and status of a man in military uniform."

 "I want to clarify that, according to the adopted law, the military, as well as those liable for military service are considered as performing the duties of military service during military trainings. They must protect the life, health, honor and dignity of citizens, engage in law enforcement and provide public security. I want to emphasize that we are not talking about any use of military force in case of conflicts within the country. It must be borne in mind that people in military uniform, while on patrol or simply being in the city, should help people if something unlawful happens. However, earlier, if a man in military uniform gets injured or disabled, who would have paid him insurance? So, the law has simply defined the status for a man in military uniform. In the Russian Federation, Belarus and Kazakhstan, similar laws contain exactly the same provision, and in those countries, no disputes have been raised," said Colonel Ashirbek.

 The Head of the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Colonel Bakyt Seitov also said that the adopted amendments are not aimed at suppressing free expression by citizens and bear exclusively positive characteristics. On this occasion, he said the following: "The militia and patrol service in Kyrgyzstan, in my mind, are not always able to keep order. Therefore, the Army will provide assistance in maximum provision of law and order in the country. Adoption of this bill is a positive thing in the life of the State. It is very good, because during various raids, detecting and preventive measures in Bishkek and various locations, the military will be also involved together with senior militia officers and ensure security of citizens. Since the revolution of 2005 up to April 2007, various meetings, demonstrations and pickets were held in Kyrgyzstan. During these activities, only Kyrgyz militia kept public order. Despite the fact that at the same time, our militiamen had to fight organized crime, they fulfilled their duty with dignity. Now, with new resources, the situation will be markedly improved."

 Representatives of the state structures are confident that all the efforts to regulate peaceful demonstrations will promote stability in the country and growth in the number of law-abiding citizens.

 The reaction of the NGO sector and the opposition to the restriction of the right of citizens to participate in peaceful demonstrations

 The reaction of civil society leaders to the adoption of legislative amendments regulating peaceful demonstrations and meetings came immediately. In fact, they collectively declared that the adoption of the bill, "On the Right of Citizens to Assemble Peacefully, Without Weapons, to Freely Hold Rallies and Demonstrations," jeopardized all democratic gains since the Kyrgyz Republic became independent.

 The Ombudsman of KR, Tursunbek Akun, on this occasion said that the bill, developed by Iskhak Masaliev, was a blow to democracy.

 The Human Rights Center "Citizens Against Corruption," having analyzed the amendments, made a statement that the bill clearly had a unilateral approach, resulting in excessive legislative regulation, prohibition and restriction of the right of citizens to participate in peaceful demonstrations.

 In its turn, The Center for Protection of Human Rights "Kylym Shamy" on 14 June 2008, appealed to President Kurmanbek Bakiev with a request to veto the bill. The letter noted that Kyrgyzstan, having chosen the course to democratic development, has a lot of obligations before the world community. Meanwhile, "the introduced additions and amendments to the law "On the Right of Citizens to Assemble Peacefully Without Arms ..." do not correspond to even minimal international standards regarding the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression." Moreover, as the center "Kylym Shamy" claimed, this bill provokes a conflict between civil society and the authorities on the basis of the existing shortcomings in ensuring the right to peaceful assembly and proper regulation of relations.

 The idea of imposing a veto on the bill was supported by the Association of Civil Society Support Centers. In a letter to Kurmanbek Bakiev, sent on 16 June 2008, the association focused on the following: "We hope that you will show the whole society of Kyrgyzstan and the international community your desire to implement democratic reforms and ensure the realization of commitments to protect the rights and freedoms of citizens."

 Leaders of civil society accused the leader of the Communist Party in Kyrgyzstan and the City Hall of Bishkek of flagrant violation of the rights of citizens. On 1 July 2008, the Constitutional Court of KR, in an open court proceeding, considered the request of a human rights defender Aziza Abdirasulova and a lawyer Janybek Sopuev on recognizing that article 11 of the Law "On the Status of the Capital of the Kyrgyz Republic" and the decision adopted by the deputies of Bishkek city Kenesh "On Approving the Rules of Organizing Meetings, Rallies, Marches, Demonstrations and Pickets in Bishkek" unconstitutional and contradicting with the Article 25 of the Constitution.

 As a result, the Constitutional Court granted the request and returned citizens the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, which they had not been able to enjoy for seven months.

 Now, Kyrgyz human rights activists hope that the authorities will also cancel the law "On Peaceful Meeting" which had been initiated by Iskhak Masaliev.

 "I believe that Masaliev's law followed the example of the decision adopted by the Bishkek City Kenesh. The Constitution states that citizens have the right to peaceful demonstrations and free expression of their opinion, while the amendments say that a citizen must notify the local authorities a few days before holding a meeting. That is, we are required to introduce initial notification to the authorities, obtaining permission and compulsory provision of information about all persons who wish to participate in the demonstration. This is a threatening moment that should make people afraid of persecution by law enforcement bodies. In this regard, we believe that these initiatives contradict fundamental democratic principles. The State must not restrict people's right to freely express their opinion," said Dinara Oshurahunova, the leader of the Coalition "For Democracy and Civil Society", sounding her opinion.

 In doing so, the head of the Coalition drew attention to the fact that compliance with the rules regulating the right to peaceful assembly does not guarantee that the authorities will still allow citizens to freely express their views.

 "For example, we all remember when young people from different political parties and the youth movement "I do not believe ... " came to express their protest in the Old Square, which is listed in the decision as a permitted place for peaceful gatherings. But they were detained by law enforcement bodies. There has also been a case when leaders of the opposition gathered for Kurultai near the monument to Maxim Gorky, which is also listed as a place for meetings. However, law enforcement authorities did not give them the opportunity to speak with microphones, and prevented the installation of sound equipment, saying that this would disturb public order. In other words, even if we comply with the requirements, the public has no opportunity to hold peaceful meetings," believes Dinara Oshurahunova.

 The leader of the human rights center "Kylym Shamy," Aziza Abdirasulova, believes that neglecting basic human rights and freedoms is impossible in a real legal and democratic state.

 The human rights activist is convinced that the state authorities are trying to deprive citizens of the right to peaceful assembly under the pretext of legitimizing peaceful meetings. In her view, this demonstrates that all international documents on human rights and freedoms, ratified by Kyrgyzstan, are only declaratory in character.

 "Analysis of peaceful assembly has shown that it is virtually impossible to get permission to hold peaceful meetings, especially if the planned meeting is political in nature." These disappointing conclusions were given by a group of human rights organizations in KR, prepared in late 2008 after monitoring the situation with the right of citizens to peaceful assembly in the Kyrgyz Republic.

 The same study observed the following: "It becomes risky to hold peaceful meetings, because any attempts of citizens to express their disagreement on an issue are severely suppressed by the state authorities. In addition, organizers and participants of peaceful assemblies, at best, have to pay a fine, and at worst, undergo criminal prosecution."

 "Unfortunately, the tendency of increased pressure on civil society has been evident in Kyrgyzstan since 2006. And, with increasing authoritarianism of the ruling power, it has become a sustainable development," believes the Kyrgyz political analyst, Nur Omar.

 The expert believes that the pressure on the institutions of civil society and the restrictions of the rights and freedoms of citizens will continue until the authorities find some consensus between their own interests and the concern about excessive independence of civil society.

 We should mention that recent legislative initiatives by the authorities have caused serious concern among opposition leaders of Kyrgyzstan. For instance, according to their assertions, the adopted legislative amendments regulating peaceful assemblies, have created serious obstacles for the meetings with the population not only in the capital, but also and especially in the regions of the Republic.

 "Lately in Talas and other distant places, we have been blamed for violating the rules of peaceful assembly. The authorities, akims and courts interpret the law in their own way. But we didn't violate the law. In addition, if earlier heads of law enforcement agencies had acted surreptitiously, now they openly act against the opposition. However, we must resist inappropriate actions of the authorities, which prohibit citizens to participate in peaceful activities. Otherwise, very soon we will not be able to come together even if we are three or four people," says the leader of the party "Ata Meken" Omurbek Tekebaev.

 The leader of the party "Ak Shumkar" Temir Sariev also criticizes the introduction of rules restricting the freedom of peaceful assembly.

 "The Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic clearly specifies the rights of citizens. According to it, they have many rights, which the State bodies and officials are obliged to respect. However, the real situation is opposite. Public authorities and officials, on the contrary, restrict the rights of citizens in all respects. The current leaders of Kyrgyzstan, who themselves came to power thanks to protest meetings, now understand what people's discontent could mean for them, and therefore they strongly inhibit new popular unrest," believes Temir Sariev.

 Activists of the Revolutionary Committee, who joined the United People's Movement of Kyrgyzstan, take the most radical position. They strongly believe that the Republic is losing its last democratic values, and the pressure on citizens and restriction of their rights will end only with the change of power. In this regard, the fact that on 27 March 2009, they are planning to hold protest demonstrations all over the country is understandable; their main demand is resignation of the current head of the State.

 "The fate of Kyrgyzstan is made not by Bishkek citizens but the Kyrgyz who live in the regions,"  stated the politician, Azimbek Beknazarov.  He explained this fact because the organizers made the greatest emphasis on protest demonstrations in the provinces of the country.

 "We, for instance, regularly visit the regions and keep ordinary citizens informed about developments in the country. Bakiev during three years of his rule carried out three constitutional reforms, but as a result we have come to a monarchical system. The situation will keep on worsening until we change the ruling power. Reforms will not help Kyrgyzstan, we must act decisively," says Azimbek Beknazarov.

 In view of severe restrictions of the right of citizens to participate in peaceful rallies and assemblies, civil society leaders and opposition ask whether Kyrgyzstan observes the assumed obligations, and whether it is a legal state, where human rights are respected. The events of recent years have shown that the government does not comply with standards for the protection of human rights and freedoms. The fact that it is gradually becoming our reality is sad.

 Opponents to the introduction of the legislation, which restricts the right to peaceful assembly, share the view that the pressure is getting even stronger. As a proof of this, they mention the Law "On the Universal Military Conscription of Citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Military and the Alternative Services."

 Leaders of civil society and the opposition criticized its approval by the Parliament and declared that the new rules legitimizing the involvement of the Army in settlement of internal conflicts in Kyrgyzstan is unacceptable for a democratic state.

 "I agree that the Army should be involved in emergent environmental situations. For example, earthquakes, mudslides, fires and so on. But the army cannot be involved in settlement of internal conflicts. The armed forces is a structure that should ensure security of the country and the population and protect it from external threats. Resolution of internal conflicts is a prerogative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, representatives of which have the necessary skills and a wide range of special tools for the settlement of mass riots. Using the army for similar purposes is a violation of human rights. I am against the Army intervention in internal affairs of the State, even if a situation similar to the events of 24 March 2005 occurs," said Aziza Abdirasulova.

 Representatives of the expert community also expressed bewilderment about the legislative amendments. For example, an expert on national security issues Leonid Bondarets noted: "The Armed forces must protect the country from external threats. Therefore, the initiative of the Parliament deputies to introduce these amendments contradicts the existing legislation. The army should not get involved in politics. With such an approach, we can come to the situation when the army would use arms against its own people, and this is unacceptable. Yes, some states use the military to solve domestic problems, but we call them totalitarian and authoritarian, but Kyrgyzstan is a democratic country."

 Restricting the right of citizens to participate in peaceful rallies and meetings, according to the view of civil society and opposition, may, on the contrary, lead to the destabilization and growth of discontent in Kyrgyzstan.

 The President of the Institute for Public Policy (IPP), Muratbek Imanaliev, is convinced that the problems associated with the restriction of rights and freedoms of citizens should be solved by establishing common rules of behavior for power and the NGO sector.

 "Everything is always based on a culture of relationships, which implies the necessity to develop these rules, based on clear stereotypes, traditions or customs. Unfortunately, in Kyrgyzstan, civil society institutions and public organizations do not always fully express the interests of citizens. Sometimes, they are even in conflict with them; just as they are in conflict with the activities carried out by the authorities. Hence, there are attempts to restrict the NGO sector, which lead to narrowing of the rights and freedoms of citizens in general," said Muratbek Imanaliev.

 "Therefore, the authorities and the NGO sector need to adopt clear rules that may not be violated. In doing so, I want to draw your attention to the fact that non-compliance with these rules, whether by the State or by civil society, must be punishable."

 "In fact, the government of any country acts as the public allows it to act. For example, many things that occur in such countries as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are impossible in the United States or European countries. There, any action aimed at restricting the rights and freedoms of citizens will not only cause a reaction on the part of the public, which would be dangerous for the authorities, but also may lead to their resignation. In the case of Kyrgyzstan, this does not happen.  That's why the ruling power continues to consolidate its position. We may conclude from this that the commitment of our country to democratic principles depends primarily on each citizen," emphasized Muratbek Imanaliev.

 Special attention should be paid to the fact that leaders of civil society and the opposition share the view that, despite the positive expectations by the power structures, restriction of citizens' rights can lead to negative consequences. In particular, it can lead to a destabilization of the situation and a growth of discontent among the people of Kyrgyzstan.

 Response of the international community to restriction of the right of Kyrgyz citizens to participate in peaceful assemblies

 The international community has expressed its grave concern about the increased pressure on the NGO sector in Kyrgyzstan, including the recent legislative initiatives that restrict the right of citizens to peaceful assembly.

 In March 2009, a special UN report marked Kyrgyzstan as a country which ignores the appeals by this organization in the field of human rights. The report was submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. A special rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders of the organization, Margaret Sekaggiya, prepared it.

 In her report, the expert noted that from 2008 to the present time, she had sent seven messages to the Kyrgyz authorities on human rights issues but received no response. Also, there has been no reaction to the "private messages" sent by special UN rapporteurs on freedom of religion and belief, adequate housing, right to freedom of opinion and free expression.

 On March 16, 2009, the Human Rights Watch appealed to the Kyrgyz authorities to reject any arbitrary restrictions of the independent civil groups activities, providing NGOs with an opportunity to play their important and constructive role in public life of the Republic.

 Holly Cartner, the executive director of the Human Rights Watch in Europe and Central Asia, sent a letter to the President Kurmanbek Bakiev, which stated: "any State shall have the right to regulate NGOs and even to set limits, but it must have a goal, legitimate for a democratic society, without any discrimination."

 The letter made a particular emphasis on the legislative restrictions that narrowed the right of citizens to participate in peaceful assemblies: "In August 2008, the amendments to the Law "On the Right of Citizens to Assemble Peacefully, Without Arms, to Freely Hold Rallies and Demonstrations" actually introduced a permissive mode of holding public events and limited the opportunity for spontaneous protests. In the new version, the law obliges organizers to notify local authorities about the event 12 days prior to the planned meeting. It does not establish comprehensive grounds for the expression of "reasoned disagreement" by the authorities and gives the heads of regional administrations excessive powers to intervene in the process of organizaing mass events. The amendments are obviously in contradiction with the July decision of the Constitutional Court of the Kyrgyz Republic, which found that introduction of any permissive character of the organization of public events is unconstitutional.

 "Any restrictions must also be clear so that those subjected to them would not have any problem with their observance," stressed in the Human Rights Watch letter.

 The European Union has also expressed its concern about recent events in Kyrgyzstan. The statement, which was published on March 26, noted that the developments, observed in the Republic, "reflect a tendency which threatens to distance the country from the implementation of its OSCE commitments."

 "We are concerned by recent trends in legislation wchi could restrict the exercise of fundamental freedoms. The EU recalls its comments on a number draft laws and reiterates the importance it attaches to freedom of the media, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion or belief, and a vibrant civil society, all of which are put at risk by recent legislative reform projects," the letter from the European Union emphasized.

 Authoritative international organizations appeal to the authorities of Kyrgyzstan to realize that the pressure on the NGO sector is detrimental to the country's image on the world stage and threatens the normal development of the State because it is impossible when rights and freedoms of citizens are discriminated. In particular, this view was expressed by the Project Director in Central Asia of the International Crisis Group, advisor on Russian issues, Paul Quinn-Judge.

 According to the expert, tightening legislation and restricting the rights and freedoms of citizens, causes a reasonable assumption that the State doubts its ability to control mass actions.

 "This naturally leads to various speculations about whether the Kyrgyz authorities are interested in free rallies, as such, or not," said Quinn-Judge.

 "It is difficult to say what will be the further development of the situation with human rights in Kyrgyzstan. But such events, like the adoption of the Law on the Army and the discussion of a need for greater control over NGOs, create the grounds to speak about an alarming trend of tightening the laws; namely those concerning the rights that every ordinary western man considers fundamental. It is still unclear how far the Kyrgyz authorities will go in this regard. One can only hope that the Jogorku Kenesh will not insist on the adoption of new legislative initiatives of this type," said the expert.

 In most cases, international observers agree that Kyrgyz authorities should operate smoothly and avoid strengthening the pressure on civil society. In their view, the authorities must make every effort to preserve the democratic values that Kyrgyzstan has been accumulating for years.

 Recommendations

 A number of recommendations, both for the authorities and civil society, may be made on the basis of different views regarding the right of citizens to peaceful demonstrations and assembly.  These recommendations are aimed at reducing tensions and establishing a constructive dialogue between the opposing parties.

 First of all, it is desirable to establish a permanent public-state commission "Jogorku Kenesh - Public Chamber - NGOs." The composition of the commission will make it possible to:

• Effectively discuss and agree on issues, related to citizens' rights to peaceful meetings and assemblies;
• Prepare bills, through joint discussions, for regulating the rights and freedoms of citizens, thus avoiding possible conflicts;
• Conduct joint activities on ensuring the rights of citizens to peaceful demonstrations and assemblies.

 Recommendations to the Government of Kyrgyzstan and the Jogorku Kenesh:

1. When drafting new legislation, it is necessary to carefully monitor it so that they do not contradict the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic;
2. To observe the basic principles of international human rights and freedoms in the process of designing the law, which regulate the rights of citizens to peaceful demonstrations and assemblies;
3. To prevent initiatives rigidly restricting citizens' rights to peaceful demonstrations and assemblies;
4. To eliminate the permissive nature of planned peaceful assemblies;
5. When initiating new bills affecting the rights of citizens, an independent commission needs to be formed during the pre-consideration phase; with an obligatory inclusion of representatives from the NGO sector in Kyrgyzstan;
6. To monitor the development of public relations in the country together with civil society.

Recommendations to civil society:

1. To monitor the executive branch's compliance with the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic and international norms on the rights and freedoms of citizens;
2. To analyze and evaluate the legislation which regulates the right of citizens to peaceful demonstrations and assemblies;
3. To involve a wide range of experts in the discussion concerning the effects of initiatives aimed at narrowing the rights and freedoms of citizens;
4. To develop alternative legislation and amendments regulating the rights and freedoms of citizens;
5. To cooperate with international institutions in cases when the government of Kyrgyzstan violates its citizens' rights and freedoms.

Radislav Safin, the editor in chief of the Bishkek Press Club (BPC)

03.04.2009 

This article used the transcripts of roundtable discussions, held in the Institute for Public Policy, and the publications of the Bishkek Press Club.