The Abuse of Extremism Laws in Central Asia

The governments of Central Asia—that is Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan—influenced by decades of Soviet rule, maintain similar legislation to combat “extremism.” Each of these governments uses these laws beyond just addressing legitimate security threats to penalize individuals engaged in peaceful religious activities. Enforcement measures have included harassment, fines, forced renunciations of faith, detainment, imprisonment, and, at times, torture and extrajudicial killings. On today's episode, Jasmine Cameron, the Europe and Eurasia Senior Legal Advisor at the American Bar Association, and Edward Lemon, the President of the Oxus Society for Central Asian Affairs, join USCIRF Commissioner Asif Mahmood. They discuss the international standards for protecting core human rights while addressing security concerns and the ways in which extremism laws in Central Asia violate such standards. They also share how Central Asian states abuse extremism legislation to penalize peaceful religious activities through transnational repression. Finally, they offer recommendations for the U.S. to support religious freedom in Central Asia. Read USCIRF’s Issue Update on the Abuse of Extremism Laws in Central Asia for more information on this topic. To learn more about religious freedom in Central Asia, read USCIRF’s 2025 Annual Report. With Contributions from:Veronica McCarthy, Public Affairs Specialist, USCIRF