Religious freedom in Kyrgyzstan: Christians under massive pressure!

Religious freedom in Kyrgyzstan: Christians under massive pressure!

Kirgisistan - in Kyrgyzstan has a new religious law that came into force on February 1, 2025, dramatic effects on the Christians living there. According to the human rights NGO "Open Doors", the law could force many churches in the increasingly Muslim-dominated country to close. By the law, which was previously decided by Parliament on December 26, 2024 and signed by the President on January 22, 2025, religious communities are obliged to register with the authorities. However, the number of signatures required for this is so high that smaller communities have little chance of legal. This requirement makes it particularly difficult for the Christian communities, which often consist of former Muslims to openly exercise their practices of faith, since they want to remain anonymous for fear of repression and personal surveillance, as already kathpress.at reported.

violence and persecution in focus

The situation has worsened massively for Christians in Kyrgyzstan in recent years. "Open Doors" pointed out that violence against churches in the form of attacks with stones and intruders has increased significantly through violent groups. Christian converts that come from their Muslim environment are particularly affected; Many of them are exposed to violence and threats. Women from this group are also often victims of domestic violence, and in extreme cases they are driven out of their houses with their children. The social climate is also characterized by massive repression, whereby local Islamic preachers publicly rush against converts, as in the report of opendoors.de

The legal framework in Kyrgyzstan ultimately does not allow religious activities without government permit, which further exacerbates the situation for the Christian minorities. Many converts are exposed to enormous pressure to return to their original faith, and often come into the conflict between their new community of beliefs and social pressure from their former environment. The enormous social stigmatization and the repressive measures of the local authorities drive many Christians underground, while monitoring and loss of family members have become everyday reality.