A controversial new religious legislation

Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) is deeply concerned about the newest version of the Religion Law submitted to comments in Kyrgyzstan as state registration remains an unavoidable obligation and prerequisite to the legal practice of any religious activity. It also imposes re-registration every five years and restricts the freedom to share one’s beliefs in the public square, writes Willy Fautre, HRWF. Engaging in religious activity without official sanction would be a criminal offense. The new legislation would additionally tighten registration requirements for a religious community, such as increasing the threshold for the number of required founders. While officials contend the changes are needed to combat extremism and ensure public safety, critics say the new legislation would give authorities excessive opportunities to restrict foreign spiritual influences and to control the spiritual life of citizens. The government likewise seeks to tighten control over the discussion of religious matters on the Internet. The bills would ban the publication of materials deemed offensive to believers or which promote the superiority of one religious belief over another. Other provisions could potentially punish women who wear religious attire, such as a niqab or burqa. Non-Muslim religious communities in Kyrgyzstan could end up being hurt the most by the changes. Representatives from various religious communities in Kyrgyzstan reported not being consulted about the content of the bills, with some saying they had not even seen the text of the proposed legislation. If the new legislation is adopted, it can be expected that many religious groups will become illegal and many churches will be closed down.   Further reading about FORB in this country on HRWF website

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