Kyrgyz Republic: LBI-GMR participates in closing of JUST4ALL justice reform project
From 24–26 March 2026, a delegation from LBI-GMR, led by LBI-Director Michael Lysander Fremuth, took part in the closing event, site visits, and an academic exchange in Bishkek.
On 25 March 2026, the Ministry of Justice and the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Kyrgyz Republic hosted the closing event of the EU–UNODC co-funded project “Support to Justice Sector Reform in the Kyrgyz Republic: Advancing Probation and Integrated Justice Information Management (JUST4ALL).” Organised in partnership with the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights (LBI-GMR), the event brought together senior officials including Almaz Aylchiev, Deputy Director of the Legal Department of the President’s Administration, Umutkan Konkubaeva, Deputy Prosecutor General, and Saira Yzakova, First Deputy Minister of Justice, as well as Hans Farnhammer, Head of Co-operation at the EU Delegation, and UN Resident Coordinator Antje Grawe.
LBI-GMR’s delegation, led by Michael Lysander Fremuth, presented the results of the project and engaged directly with national partners. In his speech, Fremuth emphasised: “The Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental and Human Rights is proud to have contributed to the reform process. For us, this programme stands as an important example of how digital transformation in the justice sector should be managed: not only through the lens of efficiency or technical capacity, but equally through the normative framework of fundamental rights, democratic legitimacy, and the rule of law.” He continued: “Whenever I am asked about best practices in the future, I will also refer to Kyrgyz Republic – as in a truly joint programme all parties can learn from one another.”
Project results and discussion
The closing event showcased key achievements:
- Establishment of a probation system in the Kyrgyz Republic
- Development of an integrated digital criminal case management system
- Strengthening of crime statistics based on international standards and national experience
These outcomes underline the importance of justice reform for improving governance, human rights, and accountability in partner countries. Participants discussed challenges, progress, and next steps for continued reform.
Field visits and institutional exchange
From 24–26 March, the LBI-GMR delegation met with key counterparts and project beneficiaries. Visits included the newly opened Probation Resource Centre at the Justice House, renovated and equipped under JUST4ALL, where particular attention was given to AIS Probation, a digital system developed with support from LBI-GMR experts, which contributes to more efficient and transparent case management. Further meetings took place at the General Prosecutor’s Office, focusing on transparency, accountability and data-driven policy approaches.
Lecture at the Law Enforcement Academy
On 26 March, Prof. Fremuth delivered a lecture on “The Right to a Human Decision in AI”, exploring human oversight in digitalised justice systems, followed by a lively discussion with students and academics. The visit also included exchanges with the Academy’s communications team and a tour of its forensic laboratory.
Outlook
The LBI-GMR looks forward to continuing its cooperation with the Kyrgyz Republic within a follow-up project, currently under negotiation, together with UNODC and national stakeholders.
f.l.n.r. Andreas Sauermoser,Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter, Universitätsassistent; Sofiya Lipenkova, Projektmanagerin; Michael Lysander Fremuth, Wissenschaftlicher Direktor ©LBI-GMR
Group photo at the Closing Event © Jamilya Jakypbekova
Michael Lysander Fremuth am Podium ©Jamilya Jakypbekova
f.l.t.r. LBI-GMR Long-term National Expert Aida Ulakova, Michael Lysander Fremuth, Sofiya Lipenkova © Jamilya Jakypbekova
f.l.t.r. Andreas Sauermoser, LBI-GMR Long-term National Expert Saule Aripova, Sofiya Lipenkova, Michael Lysander Fremuth © Jamilya Jakypbekova
Michael Lysander Fremuth (left) and Sofiya Lipenkova (right) © Jamilya Jakypbekova
f.l.t.r. Andreas Sauermoser, Michael Lysander Fremuth, UNODC project manager George Abadjian © Jamilya Jakypbekova
Kyrgyz Minister of Justice Ayaz Baetov © Jamilya Jakypbekova
Deputy Prosecutor General Konkubaeva Umutkan © Jamilya Jakypbekova
f.l.t.r. Hans Farnhammer, Head of Co-operation at the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic; Dmitry Nurumov, LBI-GMR International Expert; Konkubeva Umutkan, Deputy Prosecutor General; Ayaz Baetov, Minister of Justice; Andrei Seleznev, Head of the UNODC Programme Office in the Kyrgyz Republic © Jamilya Jakypbekova
LBI-GMR International Expert Dmitry Nurumov (left); National Experts Saule Aripova (middle) and Aida Ulakova (right) © Jamilya Jakypbekova
Michael Lysander Fremuth (left) and Konkubaeva Umutkan (right) on the podium © Jamilya Jakypbekova
Michael Lysander Fremuth (left) and Andreas Sauermoser (right) © Jamilya Jakypbekova
Michael Lysander Fremuth (left) and Sofiya Lipenkova (right) © Jamilya Jakypbekova
The podium at the closing event © Jamilya Jakypbekova
f.l.t.r. Dmitry Nurumov, Andreas Sauermoser, Asel Zagibaeva, Sofiya Lipenkova, Michael Lysander Fremuth, Saule Aripova © Aida Ulakova
Group photo in front of the newly opened Justice House © Aida Ulakova
Demonstration of the risk and needs assessment mechanism © Aida Ulakova
Michael Lysander Fremuth gives a lecture at the Law Enforcement Academy © Aida Ulakova
Michael Lysander Fremuth is interviewed about digitalization in the judicial and enforcement sector © Aida Ulakova