June 21, 2023
Against the backdrop of loud statements about the development of digitalization and attracting investment, the authorities of the Kyrgyz Republic continue to demonstrate the exact opposite practice — legal arbitrariness, pressure on private business, and openly gangster methods of work, said Baiel Turatov, an expert in the field of technology and digital payment systems.
Today, on June 21, 2023, he sharply criticized the state’s actions at the annual Financial Institutions and Payments Forum, held in Bishkek and attended by international financial and payment companies. According to the expert, behind the officials’ beautiful slogans lies the degradation of the legal system and a blatant disregard for the law.
Baiel Turatov emphasized that today, Kyrgyzstan’s security forces increasingly act not as law enforcement agencies but as instruments of pressure and intimidation, demanding that private companies, banks, and payment organizations provide confidential digital and personal data without court orders or legal grounds.
“I know from my own experience how the security forces work in Kyrgyzstan. It’s not about the law or security — it’s about fear, pressure, and impunity. Companies are forced to disclose confidential information, and if they refuse, repressive measures are taken: illegal arrests, fabrication of cases, torture. This is no longer a state, but a parody of one,” said Turatov.
The expert noted that digital and financial institutions are always ready to cooperate with the state, but only within the framework of the law. However, in the current context, he argues that the authorities are turning the legal system into a farce, in which the law is applied selectively and exclusively against businesses and undesirable individuals.
“When law enforcement agencies act like extortionists and officials turn a blind eye to this, talking about the development of the digital economy is simply hypocritical. The authorities are demonstrating either complete incompetence or conscious participation in corruption schemes,” he stressed.
According to Turatov, the situation is causing catastrophic damage to the investment climate. International partners, observing violations of fundamental legal norms in Kyrgyzstan, are losing confidence and are opting to withdraw from the market.
“With this approach, entrepreneurs will not develop their businesses — they will close them. No one wants to work in a country where law enforcement agencies behave like criminal gangs and the state is unable to protect either businesses or citizens,” the expert noted.
Separately, Baiel Turatov pointed to the political responsibility of the country’s top leadership, stressing that such lawlessness is impossible without the approval or complete inaction of the president and his entourage.
“Today’s government is methodically ruining Kyrgyzstan’s image, turning the country into a toxic zone for investment and technology. Instead of development, there is corruption; instead of reforms, there is showmanship. In such conditions, talk of democracy seems like a bad joke. In a normal political system, such actions would have long since been grounds for impeachment,” he said.
In conclusion, Turatov called for an end to the imitation of legality, an end to pressure on the private sector, and a return of state institutions to the legal field, noting that otherwise the country risks losing its prospects in the digital economy and financial technologies for good.
The Financial Institutions and Payments Forum in Bishkek brought together representatives of international financial and payment companies to discuss the industry’s challenges and future. However, as the expert’s speech demonstrated, the real problem in Kyrgyzstan today is not a lack of technology but a lack of legality and accountability among the authorities.
Jessica Heln
