Source: www.forum18.org
Date: October 10, 2025
https://www.forum18.org/archiv
By Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18, and Felix Corley, Forum 18
On 14 September, National Security Committee (NSC) secret police officers
alongside officials of the regime's National Agency for Religious Affairs
and Interethnic Relations raided the Sunday worship service of the Council
of Churches Baptist Church in the capital Bishkek. The Church was
celebrating harvest festival that day. Officials filmed the service and
seized religious literature for "expert analysis".
Council of Churches Baptist congregations choose not to seek official
registration in any country where they operate.
Ibrahim Akunov of the National Agency threatened church members with
closure of the Church. "When the officials were filming the Church and the
children playing outside in the yard of the Church, he threatened and
shouted that he will close down this Church," members of the Church, who
wished to remain unnamed for fear of state reprisals, complained to Forum
18. "This scared some of us and particularly the children" (see below).
Akunov refused to explain why he raided the Baptist Church and threatened
Church members. "I won't talk to you. You can only write a letter to the
Foreign Ministry," he told Forum 18. NSC secret police Officer Major
Aleksey Akulich – who led the raid - did not respond to Forum 18's
questions (see below).
Officials took the Church's leader, Pastor Dmitri Golovin, and Aleksey
Demchenko, a deacon of the Church, to the local police station. Officer
Izzat Ozubekov of Bishkek's Sverdlov District Police's division for the
struggle against extremism and illegal migration drew up a record of an
offence under Violations Code Article 142, Part 7 ("Carrying out religious
activity and using a facility for religious purposes without state
registration"). He then issued summary fines to each of about two weeks'
average wage for those in formal work. Bishkek's Sverdlov District Court is
due to hear the men's appeal against the fines on 17 October (see below).
Forum 18 asked Officer Ozubekov why he fined the Baptists for exercising
their right to religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution. "They
violated the Religion Law, because they do not have registration," he
responded (see below).
National Agency for Religious Affairs and Interethnic Relations Deputy
Director Kanatbek Midin uuly did not answer Forum 18's questions on why the
Baptists were raided, why religious communities cannot meet for worship
without the obligatory registration, and why the Religion Law is so
restrictive (see below).
The raid on the Bishkek Baptist congregation came 10 months after NSC
secret police raids on members of the Bishkek congregation of the True and
Free Reform Adventist Church in November 2024. Officers tortured four
church members, including the leader, Pastor Pavel Shreider. In March 2025,
a court banned the Church as "extremist". A Bishkek court jailed the
65-year-old Pastor in July for 3 years and ordered his deportation at the
end of his sentence (see below).
Prison officials transferred Pastor Shreider in September to a prison
hospital in a serious condition (see forthcoming F18News article).
On 23 July, five United Nations Special Rapporteurs – including Nazila
Ghanea, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief – wrote to
the regime about the "arrests, detentions and alleged torture" of members
of the True and Free Reform Adventist Church, as well as the subsequent
criminal prosecution of Pastor Pavel Shreider and ban on the Church (see
forthcoming F18News article).
The Special Rapporteurs also reminded the regime of their earlier concerns
about their "Concerns regarding the legal framework governing freedom of
religion or belief". "In particular, we reiterate that the mandatory
registration of religious or belief organisations, and the criteria such as
in relation to the size of the association itself, which govern the
possibility of registration, can lead to the criminalisation of legitimate
manifestations of religion or belief," they wrote. They pointed out that
this was incompatible with Article 18 ("Freedom of thought, conscience and
religion") of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (see
below).
The regime responded with a brief reply in Russian on 20 September,
according to the UN Special Procedures communication website (see below).
On 1 September, the regime's National Agency for Religious Affairs and
Interethnic Relations announced on its website that it had suspended the
activity of six Muslim and four Protestant Christian organisations. The ten
organisations had been registered at various times between 1999 and 2017.
The National Agency claimed that they had allegedly "systematically
violated" the Religion Law. "The National Agency warns religious
organisations to comply with the Religion Law," it noted (see below).
Several Protestants told Forum 18 that they do not recognise the names of
the four Churches whose activity the National Agency suspended. "They may
have existed earlier, but merged with other Churches or stopped their
existence," some Protestants commented. "The Agency probably wants to
clarify whether or not they are still active." Others commented that this
"may be a warning to all others to give their financial and other reports
to the Agency. They want strict control of everybody" (see below).
Officials ban, target religious communities
Officials banned Ahmadi Muslims as allegedly "extremist". They have not
been able to publicly meet for worship
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
the National Security Committee (NSC) secret police told the then State
Commission for Religious Affairs (now the National Agency for Religious
Affairs and Interethnic Relations) that they are a "dangerous movement and
against traditional Islam".
"We do not meet publicly or privately for worship together," Ahmadi
Muslims, who asked not to be identified for fear of state reprisals, told
Forum 18 in May 2025 (https://www.forum18.org/archi
"We stopped our common worship ever since we were banned. Our believers
have been threatened several times in the past by local police in various
localities of the consequences if we meet for worship."
An association of the Falun Gong spiritual movement was registered in July
2004, but - under Chinese pressure - was liquidated as "extremist" in
February 2005. In January 2018 the Chuy-Bishkek Justice Department in the
capital Bishkek registered a Falun Gong association. However, in March
2018, less than eight weeks later, the Justice Department issued a decree
cancelling the registration
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
The NSC secret police opened a criminal case
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
against so far unspecified representatives of the Jehovah's Witness
national centre in Bishkek on charges of inciting hatred. In November 2021,
the then Deputy General Prosecutor Kumarbek Toktakunov sent a suit to
Bishkek's Birinchi May (Pervomaisky) District Court asking for it to ban 13
Jehovah's Witness books and 6 videos as "extremist". The court dismissed
the suit (https://www.forum18.org/archi
following month on technical grounds.
Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18 in August 2025
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
if the criminal case opened in 2019 is still active, "but have no reason to
believe that it has been closed".
The NSC secret police arrested the head of the True and Free Reform
Adventist Church, Pavel Shreider in Bishkek in November 2024. They tortured
him and at least three other church members. A Bishkek court jailed the
65-year-old Pastor in July 2025 for 3 years and ordered his deportation at
the end of his sentence. He was transferred in September 2025 to a prison
hospital in a serious condition (see forthcoming F18News article). On 19
March 2025, a court banned the True and Free Reform Adventist Church as
"extremist" (https://www.forum18.org/archi
The list of 21 banned organisations on the website of the National Agency
for Religious Affairs and Interethnic Relations, as of 10 October, does not
include Ahmadi Muslims, the Falun Gong movement or the True and Free Reform
Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Repressive new Religion Law
At the beginning of 2025, the regime adopted two new laws
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
restrict freedom of religion or belief.
The new Religion Law – which came into force on 1 February - continues to
ban all unregistered exercise of freedom of religion or belief and makes it
impossible for communities with fewer than 500 adult citizen members to
gain legal status (up from 200 in the previous Law). For the first time it
required places of worship of registered religious organisations to also
register. It bans sharing faith in public and from door to door.
A new Amending Law in the Area of Religion – which also came into force
in February - changed the 2021 Violations Code, the Political Parties Law,
the Laws on Elections of and Status of Deputies of Local Keneshes
[administrations], and the Law on Status of Deputies of the Zhogorku Kenesh
(parliament). Among the Violations Code changes were sharply increased
fines for violating the Religion Law.
Secret police raid Baptists' worship meeting
On 14 September, National Security Committee (NSC) secret police officers
alongside officials of the regime's National Agency for Religious Affairs
and Interethnic Relations raided the Sunday worship service of the Council
of Churches Baptist Church in Bishkek, a church member told Forum 18. The
Church was celebrating harvest festival. NSC secret police officers Major
Aleksey Akulich, Senior Lieutenants N. Nazarov and T. Toguzakov and Ibrahim
Akunov of the National Agency took part in the raid.
Council of Churches Baptist congregations choose not to seek official
registration in any country where they operate.
The officials video filmed the worship service, despite the objection of
the church members not to disturb the worship.
The officials demanded that Dmitri Golovin, the leader of the Church, show
state permission for carrying out religious activity. Pastor Golovin
explained to the officials that Council of Churches Baptist congregations
do not seek state registration as they regard that as interference in their
activity. He added that the Church has met at the same place since 1992 and
never needed to register. He pointed out that Kyrgyzstan's Constitution
guarantees freedom of conscience and religion to its citizens.
The officials confiscated some of the religious literature for state
"expert analysis". They then called and summoned to the church building
Officer Izzat Ozubekov of Bishkek Sverdlov District Police's division for
the struggle against extremism and illegal migration.
Akunov of the National Agency threatened church members with closure of the
Church. "When the officials were filming the Church and the children
playing outside in the yard of the Church, he threatened and shouted that
he will close down this Church," members of the Church, who wished to
remain unnamed for fear of state reprisals, complained to Forum 18 on 8
October. "This scared some of us and particularly the children."
NSC secret police Officer Major Akulich did not answer his phone on 10
October. Forum 18 sent written questions to his phone asking:
- why he raided the Baptist Church;
- why officials threatened the Church with closure;
- and why he thinks the Baptists have to ask officials for permission
peacefully to gather for worship in private.
Major Akulich saw the questions but did not respond.
Akunov refused to explain why he raided the Baptist Church and threatened
Church members. "I won't talk to you. You can only write a letter to the
Foreign Ministry," he told Forum 18 on 10 October. He then put the phone
down.
Police fine Baptist pastor, deacon
Officials took Pastor Dmitri Golovin and Aleksey Demchenko, a deacon of the
Church, to the local police station. Officer Izzat Ozubekov drew up a
record of an offence under Violations Code Article 142, Part 7 ("Carrying
out religious activity and using a facility for religious purposes without
state registration"). He then issued summary fines against the two men.
Each was fined 200 Financial Indicators, 20,000 Soms (about two weeks'
average wage for those in formal work).
The Violations Code allows the police and the National Agency to issue
summary fines for violating Article 142. The Amending Law which came into
force in February 2025 sharply increased fines
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Forum 18 asked Officer Ozubekov on 10 October why he fined the Baptists for
exercising their right to religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution.
"They violated the Religion Law, because they do not have registration," he
responded.
Forum 18 pointed out to Officer Ozubekov that officials demand registration
from religious communities which would like to be and act as a religious
organisation, while the Baptists do not wish to be a religious organisation
as this would mean for them state interference in their internal matters of
faith. Asked why religious believers cannot meet privately to worship and
read their holy books together, he could not answer. "Well, we will meet
them in the court," he told Forum 18. He did not wish to talk further.
The Baptists told Forum 18 that they have not paid the fines. They filed an
appeal to Bishkek's Sverdlov District Court in mid-September soon after
Officer Ozubekov issued the fines. They found out that Judge Tilek
Toktosunov, Chair of the Court, will hear their appeals on 17 October.
The Court reception official (who did not give her name) passed Forum 18's
name and questions to Judge Toktosunov on 10 October why religious
communities must ask for permission or register officially for gathering in
private for worship and why the Religion Law is so restrictive. He did not
respond.
Renewed UN concern over religious freedom restrictions
On 23 July, five United Nations Special Rapporteurs – including Nazila
Ghanea, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief – wrote to
the regime (AL KGZ 4/2025
(https://spcommreports.ohchr.o
about the "arrests, detentions and alleged torture" of members of the True
and Free Reform Adventist Church, as well as the subsequent criminal
prosecution of Pastor Pavel Shreider (see forthcoming F18News article).
In their 23 July communication the Special Rapporteurs expressed concern
over restrictions on exercising freedom of religion or belief.
"Concerns regarding the legal framework governing freedom of religion or
belief in the Kyrgyz Republic have been the subject of previous
communications from Special Procedures mandate holders," the 23 July
communication noted. It pointed to the Special Rapporteurs' December 2023
communication (https://www.forum18.org/archi
the then proposed new Religion Law (OL KGZ 6/2023
(https://spcommreports.ohchr.o
"We regret that no response was received."
The 23 July communication reiterated these concerns over "the legal
framework governing freedom of religion or belief and religious
associations" in Kyrgyzstan. "In particular, we reiterate that the
mandatory registration of religious or belief organisations, and the
criteria such as in relation to the size of the association itself, which
govern the possibility of registration, can lead to the criminalisation of
legitimate manifestations of religion or belief in a manner incompatible
with article 18 [("Freedom of thought, conscience and religion") of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
(https://www.ohchr.org/en/inst
ICCPR".
"We further reiterate that blanket prohibitions on the distribution of
religious literature relying on the definition of ‘extremism' do not
satisfy the principles of legality, proportionality, necessity, and
non-discrimination," the Special Rapporteurs added.
The Special Rapporteurs pointed to the concerns over these legal
restrictions raised by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights in its September 2024 review of Kyrgyzstan (E/C.12/KGZ/CO/4
(https://docs.un.org/en/E/C.12
term ‘extremism' has no place in international legal standards, is
irreconcilable with the principle of legal certainty and is incompatible
with fundamental human rights (A/HRC/43/46, para. 14)."
The regime responded with a brief reply in Russian on 20 September,
according to the UN Special Procedures communication website.
National Agency for Religious Affairs and Interethnic Relations Deputy
Director Kanatbek Midin uuly did not answer his phone on 9 and 10 October.
Forum 18 sent written questions on 9 October asking:
- why officials raided the Baptist Church in Bishkek;
- why religious communities cannot meet for worship without the obligatory
registration;
- and why the Religion Law is so restrictive.
He read the questions, but did not answer.
"The National Agency warns religious organisations to comply with the
Religion Law"
On 1 September, the regime's National Agency for Religious Affairs and
Interethnic Relations in the capital Bishkek announced on its website that
it had suspended the activity of six Muslim and four Protestant Christian
organisations. The ten organisations had been registered at various times
between 1999 and 2017. The National Agency claimed that they had allegedly
"systematically violated Article 36, Part 3 of the Religion Law".
Religion Law Article 36, Part 3 states: "Religious organisations must
provide the authorised state religious affairs agency information and
annual report of its activity, including that of the facilities used for
religious purposes, of their leaders, employees and students studying
religion as well as documents of expenditure of funds, the use of other
funds, including those received from international and foreign
organisations, foreign citizens, and stateless persons."
The National Agency suspended the activity of the ten religious
organisations under Religion Law Article 37.
The National Agency warned that failure to comply with its order to
eliminate the violations within 90 days will result in the liquidation of
the religious organisations and religious educational institutions under
the Religion Law. "The National Agency warns religious organisations to
comply with the Religion Law," it noted.
"They want strict control of everybody"
Several Protestants from various Churches from Bishkek and other regions,
including some belonging to various Alliances of Churches, told Forum 18
that they do not recognise the names of the four Churches whose activity
the National Agency suspended.
"They may have existed earlier, but merged with other Churches or stopped
their existence," some Protestants commented. "The Agency probably wants to
clarify whether or not they are still active." Others commented that this
"may be a warning to all others to give their financial and other reports
to the Agency. They want strict control of everybody." (END)
More reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Kyrgyzstan
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
For more background, see Forum 18's Kyrgyzstan religious freedom survey
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Forum 18's compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
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