ALMATY, Kazakhstan — Kazakhstan's upper house of parliament approved a bill Thursday that backers say will help combat religious extremism but critics call a blow to freedom of belief.
The bill approved by the Senate will require existing religious organizations to dissolve and register again through a procedure that is virtually guaranteed to exclude smaller groups, including minority Christian communities.
Rights activist Ninel Fokina said the rules would greatly complicate the life of Lutherans, Baptists, Seventh-day Adventists and Jehovah's Witnesses.
(AP)
