Deputy to the Deputy Attorney General: Is the requirement to serve in Kyrgyz language a crime?

At the meeting on January 15, Deputy Baktiyar Kalpaev raised the issue of a recent incident that has been widely discussed on social media and addressed Deputy Attorney General Umutkan Konkubaeva.

He expressed doubt about the legality of the situation where a citizen demanded to be served in Kyrgyz at a cake shop and subsequently found himself under house arrest for nine months by court order. "Is the demand to be served in Kyrgyz a crime?" the deputy asked.

Umutkan Konkubaeva responded that it is impossible to provide a legal assessment of the situation based solely on the deputy's words.

"I have also seen discussions on social media and in the media. To provide a full response, we need to review all the materials of the case, as there are two sides: the victim and the accused. Without this, we cannot determine whether there is a crime in the actions," she noted.

The deputy also reminded that a law on the state language was adopted last year, and President Sadyr Japarov spoke in Kyrgyz at the UN podium. Additionally, Kamchybek Tashiev appealed to investors to speak in Kyrgyz.

"I believe it is wrong to sue people for demanding service in Kyrgyz. Entrepreneurs in the service sector should show respect for the Kyrgyz language and contribute to its development. If they are in Kyrgyzstan, they must treat our language with respect," the parliamentarian added.