Country Reports on Terrorism 2014 - Kyrgyzstan

Overview: There were no reported terrorist attacks in Kyrgyzstan in 2014, however, security forces arrested several individuals suspected of affiliation with terrorist organizations and terrorist activities abroad. Security forces became more aware of increased recruitment of citizens for terrorist acts in Syria. The State Committee for National Security (GKNB) leads the country's Counterterrorism Center, which is composed of representatives at the deputy minister level of relevant government ministries.

Government agencies reported varying numbers of Kyrgyzstanis fighting in Syria; numbers ranged from 200 to 500. Parliament proposed legislation that would assist the Prosecutor General's office in its prosecution of recruiters and its ability to charge Kyrgyzstanis for terrorist acts committed abroad.

The government is committed to preventing terrorist attacks and reached out to international organizations and foreign governments that could provide training and technical assistance. The country remained vulnerable to transnational threats, especially in the south where border issues with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and weak government capacity to control borders could facilitate the establishment of terrorist safe havens. Media reported several cases of Kyrgyzstanis being drawn by promises of work in Turkey and then recruited into or trafficked into Syria. The government was also concerned about the potential for an influx of terrorist elements from Afghanistan.

Kyrgyzstan's anti-Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) efforts were limited to domestic programs to prevent the flow of fighters to Syria and the prosecution of those who return. The Counterterrorism Center partnered with an international NGO to create community leadership groups in each region of Kyrgyzstan, led by local religious leaders trained in methods to prevent violent extremism, to deter potential fighters from traveling to Syria. Parliament worked with the OSCE to host public hearings in the southern provinces of Osh and Jalalabad (from where most fighters originate) to increase local awareness of ISIL recruitment methods. In November, the Counterterrorism Center agreed to a 2015 training plan developed and funded by the OSCE to increase its capacity to share information on terrorist threats between law enforcement agencies at all levels of government.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: The GKNB remained the main government organization tasked with combating terrorism. It investigated and arrested several individuals based on their alleged connections to terrorist organizations, including those linked to Hizb-ut-Tahrir. The government designated Hizb-ut-Tahrir as a terrorist organization in 2003, although the group's philosophy professes nonviolence and its members committed no violent acts. It also arrested several individuals charged with recruiting citizens to fight with ISIL.

The Prosecutor General's office reported using existing counterterrorism laws enacted in 2005 (counter-extremism) and 2006 (counterterrorism and money laundering) to charge repatriated fighters. It explained that new legislation proposed by Parliament in 2014, if passed, will make it easier to prosecute crimes such as recruitment of fighters and participation in terrorist acts abroad.

Although the GKNB's Counterterrorism Center has demonstrated the capacity to quickly react to bomb scares or other potential terrorist threat, it lacks both specialized training and equipment. Interagency cooperation and coordination is sporadic. For example, the Prosecutor General's office receives results of GKNB and Ministry of Interior (MVD) investigations to use in its prosecutions, but has no mechanism to ask for more details or for follow-up information after the investigation is complete. In a meeting with U.S. officials, members of the Prosecutor General's anti-terrorism division indicated that the GKNB does not provide specific information on the origin of the evidence that it collects or how it was obtained. Prosecutors are never consulted before the GKNB considers an investigation to be complete.

There is political will to increase capacity and obtain equipment, and all law enforcement entities demonstrate a desire for cooperation with international organizations. Kyrgyzstan continued to participate in the Department of State's Antiterrorism Assistance program, and Kyrgyz security forces received training focused on improving law enforcement capacity to secure the country's borders from terrorist transit. The border guards and customs service also cooperate closely with the U.S. Export Control and Related Border Security Assistance (EXBS) office. EXBS is funding construction of additional border towers and providing renovations and enhancements to existing border towers along the southern borders of Kyrgyzstan with Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Following ethnic clashes in 2010 in the southern regions of Osh and Jalalabad between ethnic Kyrgyz and Uzbeks, the OSCE, through its Community Security Initiative, embedded an international police advisor with law enforcement agencies in each region of Kyrgyzstan. Along with community policing, the advisors train local law enforcement officials on how to identify potential terrorist attacks.

The government does not maintain a terrorist screening watch list. It also does not have biographic or biometric screening capabilities at ports of entry. Internal information sharing needs improvement. Information sharing with other countries happens rarely and usually only by request in the context of human trafficking or organized crime investigations. Information sharing and cooperation with counterterrorism officials in Turkey is increasing. The MVD reported that Turkey provides information on the travel of Kyrgyzstanis to Turkey to assist in MVD investigations. The government does not collect advance passenger records on commercial flights.

Impediments to more effective host government law enforcement activity against terrorism include interagency rivalries, a lack of coordination between the GKNB and MVD, and budgetary constraints. Inefficient Soviet-era bureaucratic structures, corruption, low salaries, and frequent personnel turnover hampered law enforcement efforts. Counterterrorist units are still largely untested in real-life situations.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Kyrgyzstan belongs to the Eurasian Group on Combating Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism, a Financial Action Task Force (FATF)-style regional body. Kyrgyzstan did not pursue any terrorist finance cases and did not identify or freeze any terrorist assets. Kyrgyzstan has made substantial progress in addressing concerns of the international community on money laundering and terrorist financing, and, in July, was removed from FATF's grey list and, in November, from the EAG monitoring list. For further information on money laundering and financial crimes, see the 2014 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume 2, Money Laundering and Financial Crimes: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/index.htm.

Regional and International Cooperation: In 2014, Kyrgyzstan participated in counterterrorism activities organized by the OSCE, the Commonwealth of Independent States Antiterrorism Center, and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.

Countering Radicalization to Violence and Violent Extremism: In 2014, Kyrgyzstan worked in conjunction with the OSCE and other international organizations to facilitate countering violent extremism programs. The government, specifically the GKNB, launched a public awareness campaign in the Kyrgyz language press to discredit the efforts of ISIL recruiters. The campaign also warned potential labor migrants to Turkey of the risk of being trafficked, not being paid for their work, and the possibility of prosecution for their actions in Syria should they return to Kyrgyzstan.