Kyrgyzstan bans cremation after president signs legal amendments

Kyrgyzstan has officially prohibited the cremation of human remains, a move enacted after President Sadyr Japarov signed amendments to the law “On Burial and Funeral Services.” The Jogorku Kenesh, the country's parliament, adopted these amendments on June 25, and they will take effect 10 days after official publication.

The revised law strictly limits the use of crematoria. They may now only be employed for the sanitary thermal disposal of biological materials generated through medical activities, such as human organs and tissues. The incineration of deceased individuals or foetal remains from abortions or stillbirths is no longer permitted.

Furthermore, the amendments eliminate provisions that previously regulated cremation as a burial method, the interment of urns containing ashes, and the use of columbaria and memorial walls. The law now stipulates that unidentified and unclaimed bodies must be buried in the ground at designated cemeteries. While specialized facilities for disposing of medical biological waste can be built using public or private funds, the core practice of human cremation is effectively ended.

This legislative shift marks a significant departure from the previous law, which had been in effect since 2024 and permitted cremation, even providing a legal framework for crematoria. However, it appears no such facilities for human remains were ever opened in Kyrgyzstan, despite earlier government intentions. The cultural and religious landscape of Kyrgyzstan, where only a small fraction of the population practices Buddhism (where cremation is traditional), and where Islam and Judaism forbid it, likely influenced this decision.