Appeal overturns Kazakh court’s order to destroy Bibles
By Joseph DeCaro, Worthy News Correspondent
ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN (Worthy News)– An appeals court in Kazakhstan has overturned a previous ruling to destroy Bibles and other Christian literature seized from a street evangelist, according to Barnabas Aid.
The literature was confiscated from Vyacheslav Cherkasov when he was detained by police back in October; after he was found guilty last month of distributing religious literature, Cherkasov was fined 86,550 Tenge ($574), which is about one month’s average wages.
Cherkasov appealed the ruling, claiming it was his constitutional right to distribute religious literature to anyone who wanted it, but though the order to destroy the literature was overturned, the fine was still upheld.
“Thank God they didn’t destroy my books,” said Cherkasov.
Although the confiscated Christian literature was restored to Cherkasov, literature previously taken from him wasn’t returned.
In the past, Cherkasov has been repeatedly stopped by police for offering religious literature on the street.