Uzbekistan: Secret Police Arrest Andijan Pastor
Uzbek secret police arrested a Protestant pastor from his church in Andijan last weekend, seven months after a regional prosecutor had accused him of committing high treason.
Christian Persecution – Russia & Former USSR
Uzbekistan Secret Police Detains Protestant Pastor
Uzbekistan’s secret police detained Protestant Pastor Dmitry Shestakov at his church in the city of Andijan last weekend, after a regional prosecutor had accused him of “committing high treason,” a Christian news agency reported Thursday, January 25.
Russia Missionaries Fear Soviet-Era Persecution Under New Law
Missionaries and church leaders warned Thursday, August 11, that Russia’s new law on non-governmental organizations (NGOs) could lead to persecution of devoted Christians “reminiscent of the Soviet era.”
Uzbekistan Government “Attacking” Evangelical Christians; Churches Raided, Bibles Burnt
Evangelical Christians in Uzbekistan faced another tense day Wednesday, December 6, amid an ongoing media campaign against them, police raids in churches and reports that Bibles and other literature are burnt by authorities.
Belarusian Government To Make U-Turn On Charismatic Church That Meets In A Former Cowshed?
Belarusian authorities may be preparing to reverse their position towards New Life Church in the capital Minsk, members of which have been on a hunger strike in order to resist efforts by the government to close them down.
Azeri Officials Deprive Christian Baby of Name
Born on June 18 to a Christian family in northern Azerbaijan, three-month-old Ilya Eyvazov still has no official name.
Nagorno-Karabakh Releases Baptist Soldier After One Year Jail
A Christian soldier who was imprisoned in the troubled unrecognized republic of Nagorno-Karabakh for refusing to swear the military oath and carry weapons on Biblical grounds, has been released, after spending one year in jail, BosNewsLife learned Monday, September 25.
Uzbekistan Releases Six “Tortured” Christians from Prison
Six Christian men who were arrested in Uzbekistan amid a reported government-led crackdown on Christians and churches across the former Soviet republic have been released, their supporters told BosNewsLife Friday, September 8.
Nearly 100 Christian Radio Outlets in Russia Forced Off the Air Temporarily
All but two of the nearly 100 outlets affiliated with New Life Radio (NLR), a Russian satellite network operated by Christian Radio for Russia with HCJB World Radio as the principal partner, have been forced to go off the air temporarily.
Uzbekistan Crackdown on Christians and NGO’s, Sources Say
There was mounting concern Wednesday, July 26, over a new crackdown on Christians in Uzbekistan after authorities closed down US-based aid group Central Asia Free Exchange (CAFE) on charges of “illegal religious activities,” including preaching the Gospel.
Kazakhstan Crackdown on Baptists, Record Fine Reported
A Baptist Pastor in Kazakhstan was preparing for a difficult period Sunday, June 11, after being fined more than three times the estimated average monthly salary for leading “registered religious activity,” Christian rights investigators said.
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan Break Up Christian Meetings
Evangelical Christians in the ex-Soviet republics of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were on edge Saturday, May 6, ahead of Sunday worship services as security forces in both countries reportedly raided church gatherings and threatened believers, including children, while confiscating Bibles.
US and Rights Group Condemn Uzbekistan’s Crackdown on Christians
Human rights officials in Europe and the United States expressed concern Wednesday, May 3, over the persecution of Christians in the former Soviet republic of Uzbekistan, nearly a year after hundreds of people died when security forces opened fire on pro-democracy demonstrators.
Police Raid Protestant Pastor Home
Police officers from Uzbekistan’s criminal investigation department burst into the home of a Protestant pastor in northwest Uzbekistan last week, disrupting 12 people as they were having lunch together. The pastor and another believer were charged with “breaking the laws on teaching religion.”
Russia Bans Christian Radio Network
There was concern Saturday, April 8, over the future of Christian radio in Russia after the Ministry of Culture and Mass Communications refused to renew the radio license of a key evangelical radio station, an official said.
Missionaries Warn Of “Crackdown” in Belarus
An influential evangelical mission group in the former Soviet Union expressed concern Wednesday, March 29, over a “crackdown” on Christian believers in Belarus following the re-election of President Alexander Lukashenko.
Belarus Imprisons Prominent Activist for “Illegal Religious Activity”
Sergey Shavtsov, a lawyer and prominent human rights activist, was arrested, tried and sentenced to 10 days imprisonment in Belarus for organizing an “illegal religious activity,” a UK-based religious rights group said Monday, March 27.
Belarus: Religious Repression; Presidential Election March 19
Belarus is ruled by Soviet-style totalitarian dictator, Aleksandr Lukashenko. Popularly elected in 1994, he has since then maintained his grip on power through propaganda, repression, fraud and violence. In late 2002 Belarus adopted the most repressive Religion Law in all Europe. Unregistered religious groups are illegal, and registration is severely restrictive.
Persecution Continues Throughout Uzbekistan
The persecution of Protestants continues throughout Uzbekistan, says Igor Rotar writing for Forum 18 News Service (www.forum18.org).
Pastor Freed from Prison in Belarus, But Another to be Jailed?
Pastor Georgi Vyazovsky of Christ’s Covenant Reformed Baptist Church in Belarus was freed from a Minsk prison for Administrative Violations Code offenders shortly after midday local time today (13 March) on completion of a ten-day sentence for conducting religious worship in his own home.