Kazakhstan – Religious restrictions continue

Religious freedom violations are still reported to be taking place in Kazakhstan, despite President Nursultan Nazarbaev’s decision not to challenge the Constitutional Council’s ruling over a restrictive draft religion law.

The Council of Churches Baptists are still being prosecuted and fined for holding unregistered worship services, and their property is being confiscated for non-payment of fines imposed for holding such services.

In addition, a centre for the rehabilitation of drug addicts and alcoholics in the village of Steklyanka in East Kazakhstan Region was closed down by court order in January 2009 while its Protestant Christian founder, Sergei Mironov, was fined, according to Forum 18 News Service.

The proposed draft bill (Law on Amendments and Additions to Several Legislative Acts on Questions of Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations) was originally passed by Kazakhstan’s Parliament on 26 November 2008, but was ruled ‘unconstitutional,’ by Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Council, leaving President Nursultan Nazarbaev up to one month to respond. Forum 18 News Service reports that President Nursultan Nazarbaev has made a decision not to let the restrictive religion law progress further.

CSW’s Advocacy Director, Tina Lambert said: “Whilst we welcome the decision of President Nursultan Nazarbaev not to challenge the decision of the Constitutional Council, we are concerned that this may not be the end of the matter and that religious oppression is continuing in Kazakhstan.

It is imperative that Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and the other central Asian states bring their religion laws into line with their constitutions, their ratification of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the commitments they made when they joined the OSCE”.

Notes to Editors:

• To see the original report issued by Forum18 news please click here.
• Similar types of legislation threatening to restrict freedom of religion and belief are emerging in other central Asian States. In Kyrgyzstan, the presidential website announced on 12 January 2009 that President Kurmanbek Bakiev has signed his country’s new restrictive religion law, whilst Tajikistan’s new religion law was passed by the lower house of Parliament on 5 March 2009 and the upper house on 12 March 2009, and sent to President Emomali Rahmon for signature. Normally, new laws are passed to parliament by the Government and the previous draft religion law was sent by the Government’s religious affairs committee.
• To see reports on Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan please click hereand here