ICC Note:
“Two controversial new laws which – if adopted by the Senate and signed into law by Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbaev – will impose severe restrictions on people exercising their freedom of religion moved decisively towards adoption,” Forum 18 News Service reports.
By Felix Corley
9/21/2011 Kazakhstan (Forum 18 News Service) – Within hours today (21 September) two controversial new laws which – if adopted by the Senate and signed into law by Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbaev – will impose severe restrictions on people exercising their freedom of religion moved decisively towards adoption. The Lower House of Parliament, the Majilis, approved them this morning. In the afternoon the two laws were given their initial presentation to the Social and Cultural Development Committee of the Senate, the Upper House. Forum 18 News Service has learned that privately many Majilis deputies were angry at provisions of the laws and the speed which the government is pushing the laws through Parliament, but no-one voted against either law. In discussion of both laws – a proposed new Religion Law and a separate law amending other laws affecting freedom of religion or belief – the fundamental incompatibility of both laws and current state actions with Kazakhstan’s international human rights commitments do not appear to have been publicly discussed.
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