CHRISTIAN SOLIDARITY WORLDWIDE

For immediate release

November 22 2002

PETITION ON RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN TURKMENISTAN SIGNED BY MORE THAN 43,000 PEOPLE

A petition calling for greater religious freedom in Turkmenistan has been signed by more than 43,000 people.

A delegation led by Lord Clarke of Hampstead and CSW’s National Director, Stuart Windsor, presented the petition to the Turkmen Embassy on November 20.

Lord Clarke said: “Although this was the beginning of what could be a long road, the conclusion will be freedom to worship in Turkmenistan. CSW, being ever vigilant, has used this opportunity not only to draw attention to the plight of the minority religious groups in the country, but also to give hope to those who are looking to the outside world to keep their hopes alive.

“It’s comforting to think that almost 44,000 people are so moved by the plight of people in a far off land that they will be seeking assurances from the Turkmen government about the rights of people to practise their faith.”

Shohrat Piriyev, an exiled Turkmen lawyer and church leader, said: “I am so appreciative of all that Lord Clarke and CSW and others have done in this petition and I’m so thankful that you are with us in our difficult time in trying to help believers to get their right to worship in freedom. May God bless all of you in your work for justice.”

The petition, contributed to by supporters of Release International, as well as by supporters of the Danish European Mission (DEM) and Norwegian Mission to the East, called for a change to the repressive religious registration law in Turkmenistan. The presentation of the petition will be followed up with a letter asking for an official response from the Ambassador.

Henrik Rasmussen, General Secretary of the DEM, said: “We were happy to be part of the petition and we just hope that together we can achieve progress on the rights of freedom to worship according to your own beliefs in Turkmenistan.”

Turkmenistan is one of the most repressive regimes in the world in regard to religious freedom. Believers face harassment, detention and torture and the authorities have raided religious gatherings and bulldozed places of worship. In order to get official registration, a religious organisation or church has to get 500 signatures to be recognised. Often even those fulfilling this requirement have been denied registration and have been told off the record that even if they got 2,000 signatures, they would still not be granted registration.

For more information, http://www.csw.org.uk