HUMAN RIGHTS “Call Me When He Tries to Kill You” State Response to Domestic Violence in Kyrgyzstan WATCH “Call Me When He Tries to Kill You” State Response to Domestic Violence in Kyrgyzstan Copyright © 2015 Human Rights Watch All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America ISBN: 978-1-6231-32866 Cover design by Rafael Jimenez Human Rights Watch defends the rights of people worldwide. We scrupulously investigate abuses, expose the facts widely, and pressure those with power to respect rights and secure justice. Human Rights Watch is an independent, international organization that works as part of a vibrant movement to uphold human dignity and advance the cause of human rights for all. 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For more information, please visit our website: http://www.hrw.org OCTOBER 2015 978-1-6231-32866 “Call Me When He Tries to Kill You” State Response to Domestic Violence in Kyrgyzstan Map of Kyrgyzstan ............................................................................................................ i Summary ......................................................................................................................... 2 Key Recommendations ..................................................................................................... 6 Methodology ................................................................................................................... 7 I. Background .................................................................................................................. 9 Domestic Violence and Child and Forced Marriage in Kyrgyzstan .............................................. 9 II. Legal and Policy Framework ....................................................................................... 15 Legal and Policy Framework on Gender Equality ...................................................................... 15 Legal Framework on Domestic Violence ................................................................................... 16 Orders of Protection ................................................................................................................ 18 Administrative and Criminal Codes ......................................................................................... 18 Laws on Bride Kidnapping, Early and Forced Marriage, and Polygamy ...................................... 19 III. Obstacles to Protection and Redress ......................................................................... 21 Social Barriers to Accessing Help ............................................................................................ 22 The “Kyrgyz Mentality” and Preserving the Family ............................................................. 22 Shame, Stigma, and Victim-blaming ................................................................................ 26 Economic and Social Dependence and Isolation ............................................................... 27 Unregistered, Child, and Forced Marriages........................................................................ 30 Fear of the Abuser ............................................................................................................ 34 Lack of Services and Support for Survivors .............................................................................. 34 Insufficient Shelter Space ................................................................................................ 35 Lack of Legal Services for Survivors .................................................................................. 39 Health Services and Reporting to Police without Survivor Consent ................................... 40 Lack of Referral Systems ................................................................................................... 45 Law Enforcement and Judicial Response ................................................................................. 47 Police Deterring Reports, Pressuring Victims to Withdraw Complaints ............................... 47 Lack of Investigations and Convictions ............................................................................. 51 Inadequate Material and Human Resources and Training for Police ................................... 54 Classification of Domestic Violence as a Minor Crime ....................................................... 58 Justice System Emphasis on Reconciliation ..................................................................... 62 Issuing and Enforcing Protection Orders .......................................................................... 62 Delays in Divorce Proceedings in Cases of Domestic Violence ........................................... 74 Aksakals Courts (Elders Courts) .............................................................................................. 75 IV. Proposed Changes to Legislation .............................................................................. 79 V. Kyrgyzstan’s International Human Rights Obligations ................................................ 83 International Standards .......................................................................................................... 83 Istanbul Convention .............................................................................................................. 86 Recommendations ........................................................................................................ 88 To the President of Kyrgyzstan ............................................................................................... 88 To the Parliament (Jogorku Kenesh) of the Government of Kyrgyzstan ..................................... 88 To the Ministry of Internal Affairs ........................................................................................... 90 To the Ministry of Social Development .................................................................................... 91 To the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme Court .................................................................... 92 To the Office of the Prosecutor General ................................................................................... 93 To the Ministry of Health ......................................................................................................... 93 To the Office of the Ombudsman on Human Rights ................................................................. 94 To the State Agency on Local Self-Government and Inter-Ethnic Affairs ................................... 94 To the Department of Ethnic and Religious Policy under the Office of the President and the State Committee on Religious Affairs ............................................................................................... 95 To the State Registration Service ............................................................................................. 95 To Religious Leaders ............................................................................................................... 95 To the Courts of Aksakals ....................................................................................................... 96 To the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) ....................................... 96 To the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) .............................................. 96 To Kyrgyzstan’s International Partners, including the European Union and its Member States .. 97 To Nongovernmental Organizations in Kyrgyzstan ................................................................... 97 Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................... 99 Map of Kyrgyzstan I HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH | OCTOBER 2015 Summary Gulnara B. and her husband lived together for 15 years before he began brutally attacking her in 2003. One evening in 2012, he returned to their Bishkek home after a school reunion and started to criticize her. She said: I asked him to calm down, to not insult me. He said, “It’s my home, I can do whatever I want.” I got up and said, “Okay, you can do whatever you want.” I wanted to leave the room but he said, “Stand there.” I looked over and he was already approaching me. I ran away outside. He caught me by the hair. He banged my head against the cement ground. I was very scared. I asked him to forgive me. Gulnara was hospitalized for 10 days with a severe concussion. During her hospital stay, medical staff reported her case to police without informing her or obtaining her consent. Although Gulnara provided an incident report, the police did not to tell her she could request a protection order against her abuser and never took any action against her husband. During years of beatings, Gulnara attempted to separate from her husband several times, even divorcing him in 2010. But she said she returned to him largely because she felt her children would suffer stigma and shame if they were “fatherless.” After 10 years of abuse, in 2013, Gulnara’s husband stabbed her, and she decided to press charges against him. The case has dragged on for over two years; as of this writing, Gulnara’s husband has faced no conviction or penalties. Gulnara’s experience