family will try to convince the girl to marry the boy who abducted her. Often girls have little choice, because refusing to marry often leads to being outcast by their parents. Even though in Kyrgyz law the practice is considered illegal and a violation of human rights since 2013, up to 50% of ethnic Kyrgyz marriages are a result of kidnappings, both consensual and non-consensual. In April 2021, protests broke out in Bishkek after a woman was found dead following a bride kidnapping. The country's president Sadyr Japarov released a statement calling for the incident to be "the last bride kidnapping in history". LGBT rights Both male and female same-sex sexual activity are legal in Kyrgyzstan, but same-sex marriage is not recognised and even explicitly banned in the constitution since 2016. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people continue to face ill-treatment, extortion, and discrimination by state and non-state actors. Domestic violence against LGBT minors is a major issue and victims have limited access to government support. LGBT people are often unable to seek protection because of violence and other abuses by law enforcement agencies. Ill-treatment against LGBT people by law enforcement authorities is a systemic phenomenon in Kyrgyzstan according to Kyrgyz Indigo, a local LGBT advocacy group. Various nationalist groups threatened LGBT interest groups during demonstrations in 2019, several parliament members responded by expressing their aversion to same sex couples, where one member said LGBT people should be “not just cursed, but beaten.” Transgender people are allowed to change legal gender in Kyrgyzstan, but require undergoing sex reassignment surgery. The first such surgery was performed in Bishkek in January 2014. Recent developments In a move to restrict the freedom of assembly amendments were made to the Law on the Right of Citizens to Hold Peaceful Assemblies 2002 in 2008 by the government and enacted by the president in 2010. Human Rights Watch criticised the amendments, claiming that they are violating the Kyrgyz constitution and international law. In a move that alarmed human rights groups, dozens of prominent Uzbek religious and community leaders were arrested by security forces following the 2010 South Kyrgyzstan riots, including journalist and human rights activist Azimzhan Askarov. Following a trial criticised by several international human rights organizations, Askarov was given a life sentence charges including creating mass disturbances, incitement of ethnic hatred, and complicity in murder. Various human rights organizations stated that they believe the