Kyrgyzstan

Name of law: Law of the Kyrgyz Republic No. 217 of 29 December 2023 on the right of access to information
First adopted: 2007
Last modified: 2024-01
RTI Rating last updated: 2024-05

Introduction

Kyrgyzstan’s current law is of medium strength in a region where the right to access information is generally undeveloped. The law represents an improvement over its 2007 predecessor, but there are still several areas for improvement. In particular, Kyrgyzstan relies on an Ombudsman rather than a specialised information oversight body, which resulted in deductions in some areas due to the fact that the Ombudsman does not have any particular focus on the right to information or a specific role in promoting this right. Other problems include insufficient clarify on the law’s scope and some overbroad exceptions.

Note that the English translation of the law is a machine translation. The Rating also includes references to the Law on the Ombudsman.