KYRGYZSTAN: Tightened censorship from September?

ICC Note:

As if the existing restrictive Religion Laws are not enough, parliament in Kyrgyzstan is considering tightening the noose even more. The amendments, if passed, would have “the effect of imposing total censorship on all literature and similar material” said one lawyer. Thankfully, the President refused to sign, but the fight is not over yet and the amendments were sent back to Parliament.

By Mushfig Bayram

06/29/2012 Kyrgyzstan (Forum18)- Kyrgyzstan’s parliament is considering amendments to the restrictive Religion Law which would tighten state censorship, Forum 18 News Service notes. The existing censorship – like other parts of the Religion Law – breaks the country’s international human rights commitments. Lawyers from various religious communities, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of state reprisals, have told Forum 18 that the amendments would have the effect of imposing total censorship on all religious literature and similar material. Asked why censorship is needed, the main parliamentary backer Deputy Tursunbay Bakir uulu told Forum 18 he was busy in a meeting, and could not comment further.

After President Almazbek Atambayev refused on 13 April to sign amendments to tighten censorship under Kyrgyzstan’s Religion Law, it was sent back to the single-chamber parliament, the Zhogorku Kenesh. The main proposer has told Forum 18 News Service that the amendment is being considered by parliament’s Education, Science, Culture and Sport Committee.

The proposed Religion Law amendments add a new provision, Article 22, Part 9: “Control on the import, production, acquisition, storage and distribution of printed materials, film, photo, audio and video productions, as well as other materials with the purpose of unearthing religious extremism, separatism and fundamentalism is conducted by the plenipotentiary state organs for religious affairs, national security and internal affairs.”

A lawyer from one religious community, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of state reprisals, told Forum 18 on 25 June that this will have the effect of imposing total censorship on all literature and similar material. Officials, the lawyer said, will interpret this as meaning that anyone wanting to import, publish or distribute religious literature will have to seek prior permission from the authorities.

Lawyers from two other religious communities and a leader of a religious community, who also wished to remain anonymous, also independently stated that officials will take this as an instruction to impose total censorship on all religious literature and similar material.

The 2009 Religion Law did not impose prior compulsory censorship of all religious literature. However, it allows state examination of any religious literature and requires state examination of all religious materials placed in a library. It also bans all distribution of religious literature, print, audio-video religious materials in public places, on the streets, parks, and distribution to homes, children’s institutions, schools and higher education institutions. Such distribution is permitted only within the confines of a religious organization’s legally owned property, or in places allocated by local authorities

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