“Corruption remained endemic at all levels of society,” the 2008 Country Human Rights Report by the U.S. Department of State said.

The report says that the law in Kyrgyzstan provides criminal penalties for official corruption. However, the government did not implement the law effectively, and officials engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. During the year the government took limited steps to address the problem, including arrests of government officials on corruption charges.

The following human rights problems were reported as serious: restrictions on citizens'' right to change their government; torture and abuse by law enforcement officials; impunity; poor prison conditions; arbitrary arrest and detention; lack of judicial independence; pressure on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and opposition leaders, including government harassment; pressure on independent media; government detention of assembly organizers; refoulement of Uzbek refugees; pervasive corruption; discrimination against women, persons with disabilities, ethnic and religious minorities, and homosexuals; child abuse; trafficking in persons; and child labor.