Kyrgyzstan Prohibits Human Cremation

Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has signed amendments banning cremation of human remains. The Jogorku Kenesh adopted the legislation on June 25, 2026, Orda.kz reports, citing 24.kg.

Under the new rules, crematoria may be used only for the sanitary disposal of biological material from medical facilities, including human organs and tissues.

The law explicitly prohibits the cremation of deceased people and aborted or stillborn fetuses.

The use of crematoria to burn the bodies of deceased people and aborted or stillborn human fetuses is prohibited, the document states.

Provisions governing urns, columbaria and memorial walls have also been removed from the law. Unidentified and unclaimed bodies may now be buried only in designated areas of cemeteries and with police approval.

The law still permits facilities to be built for the thermal disposal of medical biological material. They may be financed through national and local budgets or by private companies.

The amendments will take effect 10 days after their official publication.

Kazakhstan, by contrast, has created a legal framework for cremation. The country’s first crematorium opened in Almaty in April 2026.

Original author: Daria Malkova

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