Kidnapping instead of ala kachuu: Amendments to Criminal Code proposed

18:01, 28 мая 2024, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Meerimai ALYBEKOVA

Committee on Law and Order, Combating Crime and Corruption of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan considered and approved the bill «On Amendments to the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic» in the first reading.

The initiator of the bill is deputy Kubanychbek Samakov. He proposes to replace the term «adamdy ala kachuu» (abduction) with the term «adamdy uurdoo» (kidnapping) in the current version of Article 172 of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic. According to the deputy, this will contribute to the uniform application of the terms in criminal legislation and will eliminate confusion in the description of one of the types of criminal offenses.

The bill states that the term «ala kachuu» has a more neutral meaning for many citizens. Because, along with violent abductions, the so-called «ala kachuu» are common in Kyrgyzstan. This happens when a woman agrees to marriage, but:

• The woman’s parents do not want her to marry the man she chose;
• Financial situation of the relatives of the groom and/or bride does not allow organizing expensive events («aldyna tushuu», «kyz uzatuu», «uilonuu toyu»);
• It is undesirable to hold ceremonial events due to mourning (recent death of a close relative of the bride or groom) and so on.

In this case, the elopement or abduction is often staged, since in fact the man and woman are creating a family by mutual consent.

«The use of the same term «ala kachuu» to both the voluntary union of a man and woman and forced abduction leads to confusion. Because of this, citizens and law enforcement officials may be more tolerant of real cases of crime against women,» the MP said.

During the discussion, MP Bekmurza Ergeshov noted that the article «adamdy urdoo» is provided for in other laws, and proposed to leave the term «adamdy ala kachuu» unchanged. Deputies Aisuluu Mamashova and Alisher Erbaev supported the bill and made a number of proposals.