Kyrgyzstan: State permission to exist still denied for Ahmadi Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness communities

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Kyrgyzstan continues to deny all belief communities permission to exist without state control, Protestants stating they "live and exercise freedom of religion and belief with constant fear." 

Times of Ahmad | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Forum 18 News
By Mushfig Bayram | November 11, 2016

Officials refuse to explain why officials' torture of Jehovah's Witnesses meeting for worship is not seriously investigated.

Kyrgyzstan continues to deny state registration – and so state permission to exist – to many belief communities which apply for it, and to ban groups of people from exercising freedom of religion and belief without state permission.

Protestant pastors state that they "live and exercise freedom of religion and belief with constant fear." State officials have refused to answer, when asked by Forum 18, why they continue to fail to seriously investigate officials' torture of Jehovah's Witnesses meeting for worship. It also remains unclear whether the prosecution and arrest of Jehovah's Witness mother and daughter Oksana Koryakina and Nadezhda Sergienko, now being investigated by the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee, has finally come to an end. The two were apparently targeted in retaliation for their community applying for state registration.

Control continues to be exercised over the Muslim Board and Russian Orthodox Church, as well as biased decisions being made in their favour, Almaz Esengeldiyev of Open Viewpoint noting that "the state acts as if it is their mentor".

"I cannot give you such information"

Since the 2009 Religion Law came into force, one Jewish Community, up to four Russian Orthodox communities, and about 141 Islamic organisations including mosques, madrassahs, and foundations, mainly under the state-controlled Muslim Board, have been registered. But no Catholic, Protestant, Jehovah's Witness or Ahmadi Muslim communities have been registered. The Ahmadis have been banned as "extremist" and cannot meet or worship together. All other Muslim communities are state-controlled via the Muslim Board. The Caritas charity organisation, which aims to reflect the core values of the Catholic Church, has been registered and does not undertake any religious activities.

Several Protestant Pastors, who lead communities without state permission to exist, told Forum 18 on 8 and 9 November 2016 that they "live and exercise freedom of religion and belief with constant fear." There are also threats by the government against secular human rights defenders in the country


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