On 22 April 2024, the Kyrgyz Republic officially deposited the instrument of accession to the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons of the Council of Europe.

The Convention is primarily intended to facilitate the social rehabilitation of prisoners by giving foreigners convicted of a criminal offence the possibility of serving their sentences in their own countries. It is also rooted in humanitarian considerations, since difficulties in communication by reason of language barriers and the absence of contact with relatives may have detrimental effects on a person imprisoned in a foreign country.

The accession of the Kyrgyz Republic to the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons contributes to further development of international co-operation in criminal matters by Kyrgyzstan and represents a visible result of the Central Asia Rule of Law Programme’s efforts in creating a common legal space between Europe and Central Asia, based on European and international standards.

The Convention will enter into force in respect of the Kyrgyz Republic on 1 August 2024.