As is known, on February 23, a draft law "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts in the Religious Sphere" was submitted to parliament. These amendments concern the Code on Children, the Code on Offenses, as well as the laws "On External Migration," "On Education," and "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations."
The proposed document includes a complete ban for citizens of Kyrgyzstan under the age of 18 on leaving the country for the purpose of obtaining religious education.
Additionally, the bill introduces liability for parents and other individuals who may facilitate such departures.
In particular, a new part 9 of Article 142 is planned to be added to the Code on Offenses, according to which the departure of minors abroad for religious education or facilitating this will be punishable by a fine:
- 20,000 soms — for individuals;
- 65,000 soms — for legal entities.
The authors of the bill claim that the initiative is developed within the framework of fulfilling the president's directives and is aimed at protecting children's rights as well as ensuring national security. They point to cases of sending teenagers to foreign educational institutions with destructive teaching methods and the risks of involving minors in extremist groups.
However, the NGO "Bir Duyno — Kyrgyzstan" believes that the proposed measures contradict the Constitution and may lead to the infringement of citizens' rights.
Human rights defenders emphasize that the bill does not contain clear criteria for determining which foreign religious educational institutions are considered "destructive." This could result in virtually all religious educational organizations abroad being threatened with restrictions.
Furthermore, the organization notes that such restrictions may contradict the fundamental norms of the Constitution, including the right to freedom of conscience, access to information, education, and freedom of movement.
In light of the above, the NGO "Bir Duyno — Kyrgyzstan" has called on the developers of the bill to withdraw it in order to prevent potential violations of the rights of citizens of the country.
