Kazakhstan: Christian Jailed For Not Paying Fine After Raid
A Christian father of three has been jailed in Kazakhstan for refusing to pay a fine for leading a worship service in his own home, according to Barnabas Aid.
Christian Persecution – Russia & Former USSR
Christians Can’t Bury Dead in Uzbek State Cemeteries
Christians in Uzbekistan are being blocked from burying their dead in state-owned cemeteries as secular officials bend to pressures from Islamic religious leaders, according to Barnabas Aid.
Kyrgyzstan: Church Appeals Building Confiscation
A church in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, is appealing a decision allowing local authorities to confiscate its building, according to Barnabas Aid.
Russian Authorities Target Christian-Run Projects
Christian organizations in Russia that teach secular education may face harassment from government officials, according to Barnabas Aid.
Belarus: Christian-run Homeless Shelter Closed
A private homeless shelter run by a Christian in Belarus has been legally stripped of its license to operate, according to Barnabas Aid.
Imprisoned Kazakh Pastor Released
Pastor Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev was released yesterday on three years’ probation following a bizarre trial and nine months of imprisonment, according to International Christian Concern.
Charges Dropped, but Pastor Remains in Prison
Although charges of “propagating extremism” leveled against a 67-year-old Presbyterian pastor were dropped Wednesday by a court in Kazakhstan’s capital of Astana, the minister still remains in prison, according to International Christian Concern.
Kazakhstan re-arrests Pastor
International Christian Concern reports that a 67-year-old pastor was charged with religious extremism and imprisoned just hours after he had been released to house arrest for supposedly harming the health of his parishioners.
Pastor Kashkumbayev Mistreated by Kazakhstan Gov’t
After his arrest in May, International Christian Concern reported that Pastor Bakhytzhat Kashkumbayev has been severely mistreated by the Kazakhstan government while it continues to hide his whereabouts.
Uzbekistan: Christian Children’s Camp Raided by Riot Police
Last month, a Christian children’s camp in Uzbekistan was raided by riot police; all the children were subjected to questioning and the homes of the camp’s organizers were searched, according to BarnabasAid.
ICC calls for release of Kazakhstan Pastor
International Christian Concern is calling for the immediate release of a pastor in Kazakhstan who has been falsely imprisoned.
Kazakhstan: Tea and Prayers lead to Pastor’s arrest
A pastor in Kazakhstan was arrested last month for allegedly serving hallucinogens to his congregation while wielding a powerful psychological influence over them.
Uzbekistan: Religious lit under state control
Sharofat Allamova, a Protestant from the Khorezm Region of Uzbekistan, has been sentenced to one and a half years of corrective labor for the “illegal production, storage, import or distribution of religious literature,” according to Forum 18 News Service.
Appeal overturns Kazakh court’s order to destroy Bibles
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.
Jail for practicing your religion?
In Kazakhstan, anyone who shares their faith could be jailed under proposed new laws that would increase the penalties for those practicing their religion.
Kazakhstan Court Orders Destruction of Bibles, Christian Literature
A court in Kazakhstan has ordered the destruction of Christian literature, including Bibles, seized from a street evangelist.
Belarus: Religious kept within an invisible ghetto of state regs
Belarus continues to keep its religious communities confined within an invisible ghetto of regulations, according to Forum 18.
UZBEKISTAN: Holiday Singing, Bible Reading officially prohibited
This month in Uzbekistan, a dozen Bostanlyk policemen raided a gathering of 80 Protestants on holiday together at the Phoenix resort near the capital.
Kazakhstan: Unregistered Churches, Mosques Forced to Close
Churches and mosques in Kazakhstan are being forced to close as that nation’s deadline for mandatory re-registration expires, but many religious communities have complained that the procedures for their closures were both arbitrary and flawed.
Detained Uzbek Pastor Freed, Flown To Safety
A Protestant pastor who faced deportation from Kazakhstan to his native Uzbekistan and up to 15 years imprisonment for leading an unregistered house church has been flown to safety, his supporters confirmed.