The Sverdlovsk District Court of Bishkek conducted an online broadcast of court hearings for the first time, including a case related to domestic violence. The broadcast was carried out on the YouTube channel "Zhogorku Sot".
Present at the hearing were the Deputy Head of the Apparatus of the Supreme Court Aman Jumaliev and the Deputy Minister of Justice of Kyrgyzstan Aibek Aydarov. The information was provided by the Supreme Court of Kyrgyzstan.
Recently, amendments were made to the Criminal Procedure Code of the Kyrgyz Republic, introducing the terms "video conferencing" and "online broadcast of court hearings." Now the legislation guarantees defendants and other participants in the criminal process the right to familiarize themselves with the minutes of the hearings, including audio and video recordings, as well as to submit comments on them. There is also the possibility to petition for hearings to be conducted using video communication or live broadcasting on television, radio, or via the Internet.
Considering the new provisions, the court may, at the request of the participants in the case or on its own initiative, allow the live broadcast of court hearings, which contributes to the interests of justice, transparency, and the safety of participants in the process. Paragraph 18 was added to Article 46, allowing participants to request the conduct of court proceedings using online broadcasting. Additionally, Part 3 of Article 280 was supplemented by Paragraph 5, which provides the opportunity for broadcasting in the media or on the Internet in an online format.
Furthermore, according to Article 290-1 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Kyrgyz Republic, the court has the right to permit the broadcast (online broadcast) of court hearings in real-time depending on the interests of justice and the safety of participants. Such measures are aimed at increasing the transparency of the judicial process, strengthening public trust in the judicial system, and ensuring openness. This allows society to observe real practices, discipline participants, and facilitates access to justice.
A recording of the online broadcast of the court hearing in Bishkek (video) was published on the K-News website.
