Kyrgyz President Almazbek Atambaev has signed into law amendments allowing the authorities to deprive those convicted of terrorism of their citizenship.
The presidential press service says the amendments to the Criminal and Administrative codes, signed on August 4, "toughen punishment for terrorism-related crimes and outline steps to deprive individuals convicted of terrorism and extremism of Kyrgyz citizenship."
The announcement comes a day after Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (UKMK) said some 600 Kyrgyz nationals had joined Islamic militants in Syria and Iraq in recent years, including more than 100 women.
More than 70 Kyrgyz citizens who joined Islamic militants in the two Middle Eastern countries have been killed in several years, according to the UKMK.