On 4 August, a panel of three Judges at Kyrgyzstan's Supreme Court in Bishkek, headed by Abylai Mukhamedjanov, rejected the appeal against the ban on the True and Free Reform Adventist Church as "extremist". The Supreme Court upheld the ban permanently, and there is no possibility of challenging it in Kyrgyzstan. Church members say they intend to lodge a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva.

Alamudin District Court in Chuy Region banned the Church as an "extremist" religious organisation in a decision from 19 March. The civil case had been brought by Chuy Region Prosecutor's Office with the close involvement of the National Security Committee (NSC) secret police (see below).

The panel of three Supreme Court Judges "were so swift to go through the case materials without giving proper attention to arguments" brought by Akmat Alagushev, the defence lawyer, Church members who were at the hearing told Forum 18 (see below).

"The Judges even pronounced their own names so quickly and quietly that we could not hear them." Church members tried to get the names of the Judges and other details from Court officials. "But no one talked to us or wanted to give any information," they complained. "Everything about the case is so secretive" (see below).

"The whole process took 20 minutes when the Judges decided to go into their chamber for discussion and they came out in a couple of minutes and announced that they upheld the previous decision," Church members told Forum 18 (see below).

The Assistant to Judge Mukhamedjanov several times asked Forum 18 to call back since the Judge "is busy". Finally, she told Forum 18 that the Judge will "not discuss it with you since the Court has made its final decision". Asked whether Courts could re-hear the case, if the United Nations Human Rights Committee requests it, she responded: "No, we will not since the decision is final" (see below).

NSC secret police officer Alinur Tursunov, who led the investigation in the case and participated in the Supreme Court hearing, introduced himself to Forum 18. But when it asked about the case, he claimed that it is a "wrong number". He then did not answer subsequent calls that day (see below).

National Agency for Religious Affairs and Interethnic Relations Deputy Director Kanatbek Midin uuly promised to respond to Forum 18's questions about the Supreme Court decision. However, he did not respond and did not answer his phone each time Forum 18 called (see below).

Indira Aslanova, Senior Expert of the Centre for Religious Studies, an independent organisation in Bishkek, said the Supreme Court decision to uphold the ban "raises serious concerns" over the situation of freedom of religion or belief in the country. "Such precedents can lead to the criminalisation of peaceful forms of religious practice and the narrowing of religious diversity," she told Forum 18. "Moreover, this case demonstrates that a broad interpretation of extremism can result in holding groups accountable that have no connection to violent actions" (see below).

Aslanova warned that such conflation of concepts "undermines the effectiveness of measures to counter genuine threats of violent extremism and creates a risk of unwarranted restrictions in the religious sphere" (see below).

The list of 21 banned organisations on the website of the National Agency for Religious Affairs and Interethnic Relations, as of 14 August, does not include the True and Free Reform Adventist Church. Nor does it include Ahmadi Muslims or the Falun Gong movement, which have also been banned (see below).

Meanwhile, defence lawyer Akmat Alagushev lodged an appeal to Bishkek City Court on 7 August over the 3-year jail term handed down in July to the head of the True and Free Adventist Church, 65-year-old Pavel Shreider. Since his arrest in November 2024, Pastor Shreider has been kept for 9 months under NSC secret police supervision at an Interior Ministry Investigation Prison in Bishkek (see below).

If Pastor Shreider loses his appeal, he would be due to be transferred to a labour camp to serve his term. At the end of the prison term, he would be due to be deported to Russia at his own cost (see below).

The regime has jailed others for exercising freedom of religion or belief. The 37-year-old Muslim prisoner of conscience Asadullo Madraimov has been jailed since October 2023 for criticising the authorities for closing Kara-Suu District's Al-Sarakhsi Mosque. He is now due for release in February 2026. Another member of the community, Mamirzhan Tashmatov, was freed from prison in May 2024. In July 2023, a court jailed Protestant Aytbek Tynaliyev for 6 months for allegedly "inciting religious enmity" for social media posts sharing his faith.

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 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 list of 21 banned organisations on the website of the National Agency for Religious Affairs and Interethnic Relations, as of 14 August, does not include Ahmadi Muslims, the Falun Gong movement or the True and Free Reform Seventh-day Adventist Church.

True and Free Reform Seventh-day Adventist Church

The True and Free Reform Seventh-day Adventist Church in Kyrgyzstan is part of a reform movement within Adventism that emerged during the Soviet period. (It is separate from the Seventh-day Adventist Church, with its headquarters in the United States.) One of its leaders, prisoner of conscience Vladimir Shelkov, died in a Soviet labour camp in 1980.

The Church – which is led by Pastor Pavel Shreider - chooses not to seek state registration. Exercising freedom of religion or belief without state registration is illegal and punishable.

The Church previously met in its place of worship in the village of Lenin in Alamudun District of Chuy Region, just north of Bishkek.

March 2025 Reform Adventist ban

Judge Ayke Musayeva of Chuy Region's Alamudun District Court on 19 March recognised the True and Free Adventist Church as an "extremist" religious organisation. The civil case had been brought by Chuy Region Prosecutor's Office with the close involvement of the National Security Committee (NSC) secret police (whose representative Alinur Tursunov was present in court).

The 19 March decision, seen by Forum 18, said that the hearing was open, but it appears that only four people were present (the Judge, her secretary, the prosecutor and the NSC secret police officer).

No Church members were present. The decision claims that the Church's leader Pastor Pavel Shreider was notified about the hearing "in the appropriate manner" but did not appear. It makes no mention that he had been under arrest in Bishkek since November 2024. Also invited but failing to attend were representatives of the Interior Ministry.

Supreme Court upholds ban

On 17 June, the Reform Adventists' defence lawyer Akmat Alagushev lodged a cassation appeal against the March ban on the True and Free Adventist Church to the Supreme Court in the capital Bishkek, according to court records. The case was heard in its Civil and Economic Judicial College.

Judges Abylai Mukhamedjanov, Dilbar Kulmatova and Bakyt Usubaliyev heard the cassation appeal on 4 August. Participating in the case were a General Prosecutor's Office representative (whose name was not given to the defence) and Alinur Tursunov, officer of the National Security Committee (NSC) secret police, who led the investigation in the case.

The Supreme Court upheld the ban permanently, and there is no possibility of challenging it in Kyrgyzstan.

The panel of three Judges "were so swift to go through the case materials without giving proper attention to arguments" brought by Akmat Alagushev, the defence lawyer, Church members who were at the hearing told Forum 18 on 5 August.

"The Judges even pronounced their own names so quickly and quietly that we could not hear them." Church members tried to get the names of the Judges and other details from Court officials. "But no one talked to us or wanted to give any information," they complained. "Everything about the case is so secretive."

Lawyer Alagushev was only able to find out on 7 August, three days after the hearing, that Judge Mukhamedjanov chaired the hearing, and that Kulmatova and Usubaliyev were the other judges in the panel.

Supreme Court reaches decision in 20 minutes

During the Supreme Court hearing, the General Prosecutor's Office representative (whose name was also not given to the defence) and Alinur Tursunov, an officer of the National Security Committee (NSC) secret police who led the investigation in the case, presented no new evidence or arguments. "They just repeated the charges brought against the Church in the case materials," Church members told Forum 18.

Tursunov "laughed" at the arguments of Lawyer Akmat Alagushev. The NSC secret police officer described the True and Free Adventists as "separatists". "They separated from the Adventist [mainline] confession and made their own secret society," Church members quote him as telling the Court. "They ban their members to eat meat, get married, work for the government or carry guns in the army."

The Judges did not respond to Lawyer Alagushev's arguments that the "experts" who produced the "expert analysis" on the Church should be summoned to the Court in order to be evaluated and that a new independent "expert analysis" should be undertaken.

"The whole process took 20 minutes when the Judges decided to go into their chamber for discussion and they came out in a couple of minutes and announced that they upheld the previous decision," Church members told Forum 18.

Zhyldyz Isakova, Assistant to Judge Mukhamedjanov, between 7 and 12 August several times asked Forum 18 to call back since the Judge "is busy". Finally on 12 August, she told Forum 18 that the Judge will "not discuss it with you since the Court has made its final decision". Asked whether Courts could re-hear the case, if the United Nations Human Rights Committee requests it, she responded: "No, we will not since the decision is final."

NSC secret police officer Tursunov introduced himself to Forum 18 on 7 August. But when it asked about the case, he claimed that it is a "wrong number". He then did not answer subsequent calls that day.

National Agency for Religious Affairs and Interethnic Relations Deputy Director Kanatbek Midin uuly promised to respond to Forum 18's questions about the Supreme Court decision to uphold the ban on the True and Free Adventist Church. He had not responded by the end of the working day in Bishkek of 14 August. Nor did he answer his phone each time Forum 18 called that day.

No possibility of further appeals within Kyrgyzstan, possible appeal to UN

True and Free Adventist Church should receive the Supreme Court decision within 10 days, by 14 August, Lawyer Akmat Alagushev told Forum 18. "But it may take up to one month as is usual in other cases with the Supreme Court." However, the Supreme Court had not issued the written decision by the end of the working day in Bishkek of 14 August.

Alagushev told Forum 18 that the ban is "permanent now as this decision was final, and there will now be no possibility of challenging it in Kyrgyzstan".

Church members told Forum 18 that they have complained to the United Nations Regional Office in Central Asia. Representatives of the UN Office have participated in court hearings.

Church members told Forum 18 that they now intend to lodge a complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva.

"Such precedents can lead to the criminalisation of peaceful forms of religious practice"

Indira Aslanova, Senior Expert of the Centre for Religious Studies, an independent organisation in Bishkek, described accusing the True and Free Adventists of "extremism" as "absurd".

"The ban on the organisation is based on highly questionable expert assessments, in which the experts overstepped the boundaries of their professional competence," Aslanova told Forum 18 in July. She hoped that the Supreme Court would during the cassational appeal "demonstrate greater objectivity, review the case fairly, and take into account the alternative expert assessment".

Aslanova expressed concern that if the organisation is not removed from the list of banned extremist organisations, "the relevant articles of the Criminal Code will automatically apply to its members".

Following the Supreme Court decision to uphold the ban on the True and Free Adventist Church, Aslanova said it "raises serious concerns" over the situation of freedom of religion or belief in the country. "Such precedents can lead to the criminalisation of peaceful forms of religious practice and the narrowing of religious diversity," she told Forum 18 from Bishkek on 14 August. "Moreover, this case demonstrates that a broad interpretation of extremism can result in holding groups accountable that have no connection to violent actions."

Aslanova warned that such conflation of concepts "undermines the effectiveness of measures to counter genuine threats of violent extremism and creates a risk of unwarranted restrictions in the religious sphere".

Appeal in the case against jailed Pastor Shreider filed on 7 August

Eight months after the National Security Committee (NSC) secret police arrested Pavel Davidovich Shreider (born 10 January 1960), Pastor of the True and Free Reform Seventh-day Adventist Church, a Bishkek court ordered his jailing.

On 10 July, Birinchi May (Pervomaisky) District Court convicted Pastor Shreider under Criminal Code Article 330, Part 1. This punishes "Incitement of racial, ethnic, national, religious, or regional enmity" with a fine or a jail term of up to 5 years.

The court had earlier changed the charges from Criminal Code Article 330, Part 2, Point 3. This punishes "Incitement of racial, ethnic, national, religious, or regional enmity" when "committed by a group of individuals" with a 5 to 7 year jail term.

Judge Ubaydulla Satimkulov jailed Pastor Shreider for 3 years in a general regime labour camp. The Judge ordered his deportation at the end of the prison term. Pastor Shreider was born in Kyrgyzstan but is a Russian citizen.

The court handed the written verdict to Pastor Shreider's lawyer only on 28 July. Lawyer Alagushev lodged an appeal to Bishkek City Court on 7 August. The case has not yet been assigned to a judge or panel of judges and no date has yet been set for a hearing.

If Pastor Shreider loses his appeal, he is expected to be sent to a labour camp to serve his sentence. Under Article 80 of the Criminal Code, each day of his detention in Investigation Prison from his arrest until the appeal court decision comes into force would count as two days of his sentence.

If Pastor Shreider loses his appeal, under Article 65-2 of the Criminal Implementation Code he would be deported at the end of his prison term at his own cost.

Pastor Shreider remains in pre-trial detention

Since his arrest on 13 November 2024, Pastor Pavel Shreider has been kept for 9 months under NSC secret police supervision at an Interior Ministry Investigation Prison in Bishkek.

Pastor Shreider's address in Investigation Prison:

720005 Bishkek,
Oktyabr District,
Geologicheskiy pereulok 2,
Uchrezhdenie No. 21 Ispolneniya Nakazaniy,
Pavel Davidovich Shreider

(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

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