Bishkek, Jan.22, 2025./Kabar/. President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Zhaparov signed the Law “On Freedom of Religion and Religious Associations”.
The Law was adopted by the Jogorku Kenesh on Dec.26, 2024 in order to improve the legislation of the Kyrgyz Republic in the religious sphere.
The adopted Law is aimed at providing guarantees for the exercise of freedom of religion in accordance with the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic and universally recognized principles and norms of international law, as well as international treaties that entered into force in the manner prescribed by law, defines the status, rights and obligations of subjects of religious activity, regulates relations arising in connection with their activities.
The adopted Law provides for:
- expansion of the conceptual apparatus of the Law (terms and concepts used in the Law);
- clearer regulation of interaction between the state and religious organizations;
- improvement of provisions on state regulation of the activities of religious organizations, including the procedure for the establishment, implementation and termination of the activities of religious organizations;
- establishment of an exhaustive list of actions, the performance of which is prohibited in religious activities;
- clear regulation of provisions on religious education;
- the legal status of the authorized state body on religious affairs is established;
- classification of types of subjects of religious activity, as well as determination of the procedure for their record registration;
- definition of provisions on the property status, rights, duties and responsibilities of subjects of religious activity.
This Law comes into force on Feb.1, 2025.