The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief
15 November 2024
KAZAKHSTAN: Court bailiffs burn book seized at border, owner fined
On 12 July, border guards seized "Selected Hadiths" by Muhammad Yusuf Kandhlawi from Russian-based Kyrgyz citizen Sardor Abdullayev. The same day a court fined him 6 weeks' average wages for the book containing "social, national, clan, racial, or religious discord" and ordered it confiscated "with subsequent destruction". Asked what had happened to Abdullayev's book, Raikhan Nurzhalpova, head of North Kazakhstan Regional Justice Department's Implementation of Court Decisions Department, responded: "It was burnt." Under the strict religious censorship system, travellers can import only one copy of any religious book.
14 November 2024
KAZAKHSTAN: Religious Affairs Department "fighting against a quote from the Koran?"
Astana's Religious Affairs Department is seeking to punish Nurtas Adambay for quoting from the Koran in a video discussion on Islam on Instagram. "Frankly, I didn't know that in our country it is not allowed to quote a translation of the Koran," he wrote. Astana Inter-District Specialised Administrative Court has not yet heard the case. Department Head Kairolla Keshkali would not say why Adambay should be punished. Courts in Atyrau Region fined two people 3 weeks' average wage each for quoting from the Koran online.
7 November 2024
KAZAKHSTAN: Constitutional challenge to sharing faith ban
Courts have twice fined Zhangazy Biimbetov, a Jehovah's Witness from Oskemen, 2 months' average wages for sharing his faith. In July he challenged the constitutionality of the ban on and punishments for sharing faith. The Constitutional Court accepted the case on 4 October but has not yet set a date for a hearing, which will be held in public. No one was available at the regime's Religious Affairs Committee to explain why individuals continue to be punished for talking to others about their faith. Regime-sponsored warnings against so-called "destructive religious movements" and sharing faith are widespread in advertisements – including on bills for utilities and on public transport.
25 October 2024
UZBEKISTAN: "We look for men in beards as we are searching for terrorists"
From March onwards, Muslim men wearing long beards nationwide have been arrested, had their beards forcibly shaved, and been fined. The fines imposed range between about one month's to just over a week's average wages for those in work. Some Muslim men have told Forum 18 that they have since March kept their beards "trimmed and very thin" to avoid such punishments. Police have claimed shaving beards stops young men being "radicalised".
23 September 2024
UZBEKISTAN: Former prisoner of conscience rearrested, another given 10 more years jail
In the first half of June, the regime arrested former prisoner of conscience Khayrullo Tursunov and about 100 other Muslim men in Kashkadarya Region. It is not known when he will face criminal trial and on what charges. Also, a Tashkent Region court added 10 years, on apparently fabricated charges, to the existing 11 year prison term of existing prisoner of conscience Fariduddin Abduvokhidov. His father thinks that "the authorities just want my son to end his years in prison".
5 September 2024
KYRGYZSTAN: Public discussion of latest repressive draft Religion Law
Ten months after a previous proposed new Religion Law was made public then withdrawn, religious affairs, National Security and Interior Ministry officials have prepared a new version. It would continue to require all religious communities to gain state registration before being allowed to exercise freedom of religion or belief, but would require re-registration every 5 years. New restrictions on "preaching" are included. An Amending Law would impose higher Violations Code fines for a greater range of "offences". The public have until 28 September to submit comments.
28 August 2024
UZBEKISTAN: Given punishment cell "so he will stay in prison longer"
The prison administration in Akhangaran sent 26-year-old Faryozbek Kobilov to the punishment cell for two days in early August. He was hoping for early release in September. Prison authorities told his parents he now has no chance for early release because he violated the prison regime. "The authorities imprisoned him for no crimes and now they are trying to keep him there for longer." Prisoner of conscience Alimardon Sultonov was sent to a punishment cell for five days in July. The prison Governors refused to explain the punishments.
15 August 2024
UZBEKISTAN: Why can't places of worship reopen?
A secret police officer and religious affairs official visited Abu Zar Mosque in Yangiyul District, saying it would be handed over for business use. "They just came, brazenly told us this and said that no one from the mahalla should get angry," said a Muslim. Officials refuse Bukhara's Baptist Church permission to rebuild its church, which they sealed after water damage in 2021. "Last year at least they were listening to us," Baptists say. "Now some officials tell us directly to our face: Leave my office and get lost!"
13 August 2024
UZBEKISTAN: Who instigated Church demolition?
On 25 April, Judge Nurlubay Akimniyazov ordered the destruction of two buildings under construction belonging to Urgench Council of Churches Baptists. The decision, which against Uzbek law the Baptists have not seen, entered into force on 27 May. Demolition began on 30 July. One of the buildings was intended to be a church. The Judge, regime officials, and state-appointed Muslim clerics have either refused to explain the demolition order or given contradictory explanations, and officials have stated they are "determined to complete the demolition sooner or later".
30 July 2024
TURKMENISTAN: Protestant pastor faces arrest threats
In early July, a mosque official in Dogryyol, Juman Illiyev, told worshippers that local Protestant Pastor Rahymjan Borjakov "will sooner or later be locked up", with work "already underway". In mid-July, officials visited the family home seeking relatives' car numbers and places of work or study. Relatives (many of them not Christians) received "threatening and insulting" phone calls from a number assigned to a man named Ylham from the Police 7th Department which controls religion. The man who answered that phone refused to answer any questions. Muslims too face pressure.
12 July 2024
UZBEKISTAN: Planned new punishments for parents allowing children's religious education
The regime's non-freely-elected parliament has adopted in the first reading a draft law to allegedly "further strengthen the rights of children". The draft Law would ban and introduce punishments for parents or guardians who allow their children to receive "illegal" religious education before the age of 18. Many of the people the regime rules have expressed strong opposition to the draft Law. The regime is also planning to tighten the existing state censorship with a new Information Code.
13 June 2024
KYRGYZSTAN: Greater financial controls on religious organisations?
Despite Parliament's rejection on 6 June of a Religion Law amendment that would have imposed tighter financial reporting by registered religious organisations, work on a similar amendment continues. Deputy Ulan Primov – who is promoting such tighter controls – has not answered Forum 18's question on why he believes they are needed. "Financial control measures for non-commercial organisations in general were incorporated into the Law in 2022," says Gulshayir Abdirasulova of human rights organisation Kylym Shamy. "Now the authorities want to adopt such measures for religious organisations."