KYRGYZSTAN: Greater financial controls on religious organisations?

Despite Parliament’s rejection on 6 June of a Religion Law amendment that would have imposed tighter financial reporting by registered religious organisations, work on a similar amendment continues. Deputy Ulan Primov – who is promoting such tighter controls – has not answered Forum 18’s question on why he believes they are needed. “Financial control measures for non-commercial organisations in general were incorporated into the Law in 2022,” says Gulshayir Abdirasulova of human rights organisation Kylym Shamy. “Now the authorities want to adopt such measures for religious organisations.”