Kyrgyzstan Bans Cremation of Deceased Individuals

Kyrgyzstan has officially banned the cremation of deceased individuals, including fetuses, through amendments signed by President Sadyr Japarov to the Law on Burial and Funeral Services. The changes, adopted by the Jogorku Kenesh on June 25, 2026, restrict the use of crematoria solely to the sanitary thermal destruction of biological waste generated by medical activities.

The legislation explicitly forbids burning the bodies of deceased people, as well as aborted and stillborn fetuses, in crematoria. Provisions related to the cremation of the deceased, urns with ashes, columbaria, and walls of grief have been removed from the law. Unclaimed and unidentified bodies must now be buried in the ground at cemeteries.

Specialized facilities for destroying medical biological waste can be funded by the national and local budgets, as well as private companies. The law is set to take effect 10 days after its publication.