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 since July 2011 after 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. "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.

The NSC secret police opened a criminal case in December 2019 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 the following month on technical grounds.

Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18 in August 2025 that they do not know 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" .

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 which continue to 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 under this Article.

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) 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 about the then proposed new Religion Law (OL KGZ 6/2023). "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] 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). "We further observe that the 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

For more background, see Forum 18's Kyrgyzstan religious freedom survey

Forum 18's compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments

Follow us on Bluesky @Forum18

Follow us on Facebook @Forum18NewsService

Follow us on Telegram @Forum18NewsService

Follow us on WhatsApp Forum 18

Follow us on X/Twitter @Forum_18

All Forum 18 material may be referred to, quoted from, or republished in full, if Forum 18 is credited as the source.

All photographs that are not Forum 18's copyright are attributed to the copyright owner. If you reuse any photographs from Forum 18's website, you must seek permission for any reuse from the copyright owner or abide by the copyright terms the copyright owner has chosen.

© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855.