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LAW OF THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC

of January 21, 2025 No. 18

About religious liberty and religious associations

Accepted by Jogorku Kenesh of the Kyrgyz Republic on December 26, 2024

Chapter 1. General provisions

Article 1. Subject of regulation of this Law

This Law is aimed at providing guarantees for implementation of religious liberty according to the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic and the conventional principles and rules of international law, and also the international treaties which became effective in the procedure established by the legislation determines the status, the rights and obligations of subjects of religious activities, governs the relations arising in connection with their activities.

Article 2. Legislation on religious liberty and religious associations

The legislation on religious liberty and religious associations is based on the Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic and consists of this Law and other regulatory legal acts accepted according to it. The edition by public authorities and local self-government of the regulatory legal acts contradicting this Law is not allowed.

Article 3. The main terms and concepts used in this Law

For the purposes of this Law the following main terms and concepts are used:

1) objects and objects of religious appointment - various corporeal objects and objects (buildings, mechetny and church utensils, etc.), necessary for implementation of religious activities;

2) the molal rooms (namazkan and other molal rooms) - rooms and structures with observance of health requirements and fire safety regulations used only for the purpose of making of prayers by certain religious organization (faith) and having public access;

3) mission - form of business of implementation of religious activities in the Kyrgyz Republic the representative office of the religious organization of foreign countries which is acting on the basis of the Charter and underwent accounting registration in the procedure established by this Law;

4) the missionary - the foreign citizen who is temporarily performing religious activities in the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic according to this Law in the direction of the foreign religious organization and the invitation of the religious organization of the Kyrgyz Republic;

5) the religious preacher - the religious figure preaching religion with the consent of the relevant central governing body of the religious organizations, who is engaged in distribution of religion by various methods (including by means of mass media (further - media) and the Internet), the citizen who underwent accounting registration in the procedure established by this Law;

6) pilgrimage - visit by believers is religious the significant holy sites;

7) proselytism - the aspiration to turn followers of other dogmas into the religion;

8) religious activities - the activities directed on:

- satisfaction of religious needs of believers according to the procedure, established by this Law;

- distribution of religious dogmas, religious education;

- holding the religious practices and meetings which except for took roots in society as tradition;

- production and distribution of objects of religious appointment, religious literature and materials, including on the Internet and media;

- organization of pilgrimage;

9) religious figures (priests, attendants of cults) - persons performing religious activities on behalf of the religious organization according to the legislation on religious liberty and religious associations including by means of media and the Internet;

10) religious literature and materials - religious texts, the sacred writing, and also other published works, the printed, electronic, audio-and video records of religious content relating to certain religion, issued, distributed by the religious organization within implementation of religious activities;

11) the religious organization - the form of business of religious consolidation created by citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic on voluntary basis for the purpose of joint implementation of religious activities, which is acting on the basis of the Charter and underwent accounting registration in the procedure established by this Law;

12) religious charity foundation - the organization which main destination is financing of construction and reconstruction of subjects to religious appointment, religious educational institutions, social objects and rendering financial support to the religious organizations, various segments of the population, including persons leaving to foreign countries for the purpose of receipt of religious education, and also performing other financing directed to satisfaction of religious requirements;

13) sect - the religious trend (community) separated any faith, the main dogma and not consistent with it, showing emotional neglect and contradiction to interests of society;

14) religious symbol - the sign, attribute or material sign specifying belonging to certain religion.

Article 4. Religion right to liberty

1. No religion can be accepted as the state or obligatory religion in the Kyrgyz Republic.

In the Kyrgyz Republic the right to liberty of conscience and religion is guaranteed to everyone.

2. The right of everyone freely and independently to choose, practise individually any religion, including the right to change the religion or beliefs, not to be forced to expression of the religious and other beliefs or refusal of them, uses absolute protection.

3. Restriction of human right for religious liberty is allowed by the Constitution and the laws of the Kyrgyz Republic for the purpose of protection of homeland security, public law and order, health protection and morality of the population, protection of the rights and freedoms of other persons. At the same time the essence of the constitutional freedoms and the rights cannot be affected. The introduced restrictions shall be proportional to the specified purposes. Acceptance of the subordinate regulatory legal acts limiting human rights on religious liberty is forbidden.

4. All are equal before the law and court in all areas of civil, political, economic, social and cultural life irrespective of their relation to religion and religious or other beliefs. Instruction in official documents on the relation of the person to religion is not allowed.

5. The foreign citizens and stateless persons which are in the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic have right to liberty of religion on an equal basis with citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic and bear the responsibility for violation of requirements of this Law and other regulatory legal acts established by the penal legislation or the legislation on offenses.

6. In the Kyrgyz Republic it is not allowed:

1) establishment of benefits, restrictions or other forms of discrimination depending on the relation to religion and religious or other beliefs;

2) the promotion of religious hatred, religious superiority calling for discrimination, hostility or violence;

3) distribution and promotion of religion (religious trends) in state bodies, local government bodies, the public and local government offices, and also in connections, parts and divisions of Armed Forces of the Kyrgyz Republic;

4) belittling of role of traditions and customs of the Kyrgyz people by religious figures and religious organizations;

5) opposition of legal and religious regulations, discrimination of precepts of law in case of regulation of the public relations and, on the contrary, prevention of promotion of religious regulations;

6) the action directed to the address to the religion of followers of other dogmas and also is religious neutral people and atheists by psychological and physical impact, threat, violence;

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