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Military security law bars Central Asians from German museum

Why Kazakhs and Kyrgyz are barred from a German tank museum
Why Kazakhs and Kyrgyz are barred from a German tank museum / Collage by Kursiv.media, photo editor: Serikzhan Kovlanbayev

Citizens of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan will no longer be able to enter one of Europe’s most well-known military museums.

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The Wehrtechnische Studiensammlung museum in the German city of Koblenz has imposed strict entry restrictions on residents of several countries.

The museum administration said the decision is not based on discretion but on legal requirements. According to an official statement, the ban is tied to military security rules and applies to citizens of countries included on a designated list.

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The list is based on Security Screening Act (SÜG). The so-called «stop list» includes 26 countries, among them Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine, China and Tajikistan. The restriction is reportedly temporary.