Kyrgyzstan is in shock following the murder of Aizada Kanatbekova, who was ‘bride-kidnapped’ (abducted in order to be forced into marriage) in the centre of Bishkek, the country's capital.
On 7 April, Kanatbekova was found strangled in a car next to the body of her kidnapper, who had taken his own life. It became clear that the police knew the car's licence plate, the name of the suspect and his phone number, but still "did not manage" to save the woman's life. Kanatbekova, 27, had been planning to travel to Turkey for work, after finishing university. On 8 April, people in Bishkek and the southern city of Osh held protests against sexual violence, and called for the resignation of the interior ministry’s leaders.
Such incidents are not unusual in Kyrgyzstan, where the indifference and ineffectiveness of law enforcement agencies regularly lead to tragedy. Many cite the continued practice of bride-kidnapping as evidence that the situation will never change, but, as statistics and expert comment show, the reason for the country’s ongoing sexual violence lies in a broken law enforcement and judicial system that places the blame on women – and justifies perpetrators.
