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Recognition of religion or belief in Kyrgyzstan

According to the standards set out in the SRR, conditions for RoRB in the Kyrgyz Republic are classified censorious.

Recognition of religion or belief in Kyrgyzstan

Overview:


  • Recognition and registration are amalgamated; a degree of existential recognition is provided to Islam and Orthodox Christianity due to their long-standing existence in the country but no formal procedures for existential recognition exist for any group; a focus is placed on legal registration.

  • Registration with the government does not bestow genuine freedom to engage in religious activity without government intervention.

  • Informational requirements seem appropriate but are likely to be manipulated against the applicant group considering the government’s overall approach to religion and belief of its citizens.

  • There exists a multi-step process for legal registration, first with the SCRA and secondly with the Ministry of Justice; the former process assures the group’s validity to exist while the latter assures the group’s validity to engage in commercial activities as a legal entity; this multi-step process is ultimately censorial of religious activity.

  • The stipulation that each congregation of a religious community must register separately and the imposed membership quota is censorious.

  • The rule of mandatory registration for all groups and group activities is a severe violation of the Bielefeldt provision.


Positive elements:


  • Nil.


Recommendations:


  • Dismantlement of the system to restrict religious activity and of the abusive system of registration that purely exists to stop groups the government does not approve of from congregating.

RoRB Topic
RoRB Compliance
RoRB Classification
Title
Country or territory
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