Japarov rejects law on abolishing criminal liability for polygamy

In June 2025, deputies of the Jogorku Kenesh adopted the draft law "On Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic" in three readings.

The document provided for the removal of Article 176 from the Criminal Code, which criminalizes polygamy. According to it, this case is punishable by a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 soms or up to three years of community or correctional labor. The Family Code, on the other hand, allows only one officially registered marriage.

The adoption of the bill would have meant the complete abolition of liability for a man living with two or more women.

On August 11, 2025, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov refused to sign the law and returned it to parliament with his objections.

He said the initiative contradicts the country's international obligations and the principles of gender equality.

According to Japarov, maintaining criminal punishment demonstrates the state's commitment to the rule of law. It protects women and children from legal and social inequality, and strengthens the institution of the family.

In his objections, the President relied on the conclusions of the Human Rights Commissioner, the Prosecutor General's Office, the National Agency for Religious and Interethnic Relations, the Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Justice, and the Constitutional Court.

For your information, polygamy has been banned in Kyrgyzstan since the Soviet era: family law allows only one official marriage. Article 176 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic defines bigamy and polygamy as criminal offenses, and cases under this article are initiated only upon the application of the first wife.

Kyrgyzstan was one of the first CIS countries to introduce severe penalties for polygamous marriages.