The president of Kyrgyzstan, Sadyr Japarov, recently signed the new Religion law, which continues to restrict freedom of religion or belief in the country, and the Amending law, that increases fines for those who violate provisions of the Religion law.

The Parliament approved both laws in the second and third readings on 26 December, with 76 votes in favour, 0 against and 12 abstensions.

The new Religion Law replaces the 2008 law and will come into force on 1 February 2025, while the Amending law will take effect on 3 February.

"The new law does not make anything better for us to practice our faith, but makes it more difficult", a Protestant leader told Norwegian human rights group Forum 18. "I have stopped believing in any improvements in the laws or in the attitude of the government towards us Christians".

Mandatory registration and over double the number of official members

The new Religion law states that all religious communities have to gain state registration before they are allowed to exist.

Registration will only be valid for communities with at least 500 adult members (up from 200 in the current law) living in a single region of the country.

According to the the Protestant leader, that is a problem because they "have difficulty collecting signatures of 200 persons at the moment to register in one locality".

Furthermore, "if by chance registration is given to a church, they will be asked to re-register every 10 years. That will push them into repeating the same burdensome process", he explained.

The application for registration has to include information about the basics of the doctrine and the practice; the history of its origin; the forms and methods of its activities, the attitude towards family and marriage, education, the health of its followers.

"The authorities do not want the participation of Protestant churches in the decision-making process in the area of freedom of religion on the national or regional level. They want to limit our exercise of freedom as much as they can", stressed the Protestant leader.

Places of worship and preachers registration

All the places of worship to be used by the registered religious communities also requires a state registration with the State Commission for Religious Affairs (SCRA).

Building places of worship on land owned by individuals is banned, as well as using private homes to hold religioues meetings with others.

"Getting such registration will be a difficult process, since the secret police, the Interior Ministry, and local mayors' office will have to give permission […] and meeting for worship almost impossible for many churches", the source told Forum 18.

The new law also states that anyone who “is involved in spreading a religion by various methods (including through the media and on the internet)" is considered a preacher and must be registered by the SCRA.

Additionally, "only those who have specialised higher or general religious education can act as preachers" and must be registered every year.

Protestants denounced that "it is not clear if a preacher is defined as a pastor of a church, and that would allow local authorities or the SCRA to block, obstruct, or punish pastors".

Public activities always with permission

Registered religious organisations and educational establishments are only allowed to hold events in their own premises, at places of pilgrimage and at cemeteries.

They must notify the local administration and the SCRA 10 working days before, about the date, location and programme of any other religious events they plan elsewhere. These entities can deny permission without giving reasons.

The new Amending law says that those who who “exercise freedom of religion or belief without permission”, will be punished with a fine of 20,000 Soms (220€), equivalent to three weeks' average wages, on individuals, and 65,000 Soms (715€) on organisations.

Many other restrictions

Those are the main changes of the upcoming Religion law, but there are many more that will restrict freedom of religion and make will make the everyday life of evangelicals and the rest of faith groups very difficult.

Those mesaure include, among others:

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  Censorship of all religious texts and materials by the SCRA

  
  


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  Ban on distributing religious literature or materials in public places

  
  


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  Ban religious education for children or adults without SCRA permission

  
  


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  Require SCRA notification for individuals to travel abroad to study in a religious school

  
  


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  Foreign missions and missionaries require registration

  
  


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  Ban elected members of local government and the Parliament from conducting religious activity

  
  

"I am afraid that if these changes are adopted, and if the authorities continue their past strategies, many churches will be closed down", concluded the Protestant leader in Kyrgyzstan.

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