Kyrgyzstan launches raids to enforce niqab ban

Police begin public enforcement of controversial face veil ban as concerns grow over religious freedom in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan (MNTV) — Kyrgyz police have begun enforcing a nationwide ban on the niqab, a face veil worn by some Muslim women, by conducting patrols in the southern city of Jalal-Abad.

The State Committee for National Security released images showing officers speaking to veiled women and informing them of the penalties under the new law.

According to Kursive Media, the controversial legislation—part of Kyrgyzstan’s law on religious freedom and religious associations—took effect in January 2025.

It prohibits wearing the niqab or any clothing that “prevents personal identification” in public spaces. Violators face fines of approximately $230.

On April 2, police and national security officials held a public meeting in Jalal-Abad to educate women about the ban and discourage the practice of wearing the niqab in public.

The law also forbids attempts to convert atheists, perform religious rituals in institutions like prisons or military units, and distribute religious literature in schools or door-to-door.

While authorities frame the law as a security measure, rights groups and religious scholars argue it mirrors historical efforts to suppress Islamic practices.

During the Soviet era, Kyrgyz Muslims faced intense persecution—mosques were closed, Islamic education was banned, and many practicing believers were imprisoned or executed.

The atheist policies of the USSR aimed to secularize Central Asian societies and eliminate religious influence.

Though Kyrgyzstan became more religiously open after independence in 1991, restrictions on Islamic expression have tightened in recent years.

In 2024, even the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan publicly backed a similar niqab ban, signaling a broader regional trend toward regulating Islamic dress.

Observers fear that while framed as secular policy, these laws may infringe on fundamental rights to religious expression and disproportionately target Muslim women.