According to the draft law, a provision will be added to the Children's Code stating that parents or their legal representatives sending a child – a citizen of Kyrgyzstan – abroad for religious education will be held accountable in accordance with the legislation on offenses.
Furthermore, a new part of Article 142 will be added to the Code on Offenses, which stipulates that the travel of minors for religious education abroad or facilitating this process will result in a fine: 20,000 soms for individuals and 6,600 soms for legal entities.
The amendments also prohibit citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic under 18 years of age from leaving the country for religious education in accordance with the laws "On External Migration" and "On Education".
Additionally, the Law "On Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations" will include a provision stating that minors cannot travel abroad for religious education. The document will introduce the terms "minors" and "state register of subjects of religious activity".
The justification for the draft law states that the initiative was prepared in accordance with the president's directives to protect the rights and interests of children, as well as to ensure national security. The authors emphasize that there is a risk of minors being sent to foreign religious educational institutions with destructive programs, which may lead to the involvement of adolescents in radical and extremist groups, as well as issues with social adaptation upon their return home.
The draft law has undergone public discussions twice on the Unified Portal of Regulatory Legal Acts. Some comments were taken into account, some partially, and one proposal was rejected with the possibility of appeal to the Constitutional Court. The next step will be the consideration of the document by the relevant committees and the chamber of parliament.
