Kyrgyz president extends death penalty moratorium.

Kyrgyz President Askar Akayev has extended a moratorium on the execution of the death penalty in the country for 1 year, the presidential press service told Interfax on Thursday.

"Making this decision, the Kyrgyz president was guided by the principles of humanity and charity. The decision was also designed to mark the 55th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," the press service said.

The government has been instructed to allot additional funds to improve the conditions of the people sentenced to the death penalty, it said.

At the moment, 150 people in Kyrgyzstan have been sentenced to the death penalty.

Kyrgyzstan has annually extended the death penalty moratorium since 1998.