FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
http://www.forum18.org/

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

========

2 August 2010
RUSSIA: BAPTIST AND JEHOVAH’S WITNESS WORSHIP SERVICES RAIDED
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1473
Worship services of Baptists and Jehovah’s Witnesses have suffered recent
raids by Russian law enforcement agencies, many involving the FSB security
service, Forum 18 News Service has learned. After the latest, 9 July raid
on Jehovah’s Witness worship, officials – including an FSB officer and two
Prosecutor’s Office investigators – found nothing illegal but still held
back all who had taken part in the service, writing down their names,
addresses and telephone numbers. From 12 July, investigators interrogated
more than 20 congregation members, proving most interested in the structure
of the community, its aims and goals, members’ religious convictions and
the distribution of religious literature. A Baptist congregation similarly
treated was given as authority a poorly photocopied court decision
justifying the raid “in view of the fact that meetings of an unregistered
religious organisation” were held in the raided building. Russian law does
not require religious communities to register or seek state permission for
home worship. Officials have been unwilling to discuss their actions with
Forum 18.

4 August 2010
RUSSIA: JEHOVAH’S WITNESS WAR VETERAN PROSECUTED FOR EXTREMISM
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1475
An 85-year-old veteran of the Second World War is the first Russian
Jehovah’s Witness known to have been prosecuted for “production and
distribution of extremist materials”, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. The
prosecution is the latest turn in the ongoing nationwide state campaign
against the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Aleksei Fedorin, the veteran, denied the
charges, explaining that police gathered various Jehovah’s Witness titles
he distributed for several years before they were banned, and that he was
ill on the recent days he is alleged to have distributed them. Fedorin was
also interrogated for eight and a half hours continuously, although he
suffers from dizziness and faints. The judge in the case refused to comment
on her decision to Forum 18. Earlier prosecutions for producing and
distributing religious literature have involved controversially banned
Islamic titles. Previous cases against Jehovah’s Witnesses have rested on
little-used provisions of some regional Administrative Codes. In at least
one case, an attempt appears to have been made to recruit a Jehovah’s
Witness as an FSB informer.

3 August 2010
TURKMENISTAN: “THE CONSTITUTION IS ONLY A SCRAP OF PAPER FOR THE TURKMEN
AUTHORITIES”
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1474
Turkmenistan has raided a Christian young people’s summer camp organised by
two legally registered churches, Protestants who asked not to be identified
for fear of state reprisals told Forum 18 News Service. Participants –
particularly ethnic Turkmens – were arrested, insulted, threatened and had
personal Bibles confiscated. When camp leaders pointed out their rights to
meet under Turkmenistan’s Constitution, officers insulted the Constitution.
“To put it mildly, the Constitution is only a scrap of paper for the
Turkmen authorities,” one Protestant complained to Forum 18, “while the
Church’s legal status means even less.” Elsewhere, others have been
pressured to sign statements that they will not meet for worship, and two
Protestants were fired from their jobs because of their faith. Registration
– and hence the right to carry out activities legally – remains impossible
for many religious communities, and re-registration is being used as a
weapon to stop religious activity. However, the Justice Ministry has after
13 years registered the Catholic congregation in the capital Ashgabad. But
strict censorship and border controls are still being imposed on all
religious literature and religious believers.

5 August 2010
UZBEKISTAN: “WE ARE BANDITS”
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1476
Uzbekistan continues short-term jailings of prisoners of conscience and
large fines against Christians meeting together, Forum 18 News Service has
learned. 10 Protestant short-term prisoners of conscience have been jailed
for between three and five days, and three were fined 80 times the minimum
monthly wage. The raid which preceded the punishments – in which 23 people
including small children were detained – was carried out with great
brutality. Police under Major Ilyos Mustafayev broke into the house,
confiscating two personal Bibles, four songbooks and one textbook of violin
lessons. They then began “pushing the believers forcefully” into cars
outside, Baptists complained. “Some believers were kicked and hit while
they were dragged out of the house.” Major Mustafayev, when asked by the
Baptists why the Police acted like bandits, replied: “Yes, we are bandits”.
Questioned by Forum 18, Mustafayev denied his identity. Elsewhere a court
has ordered that officially permitted Christian books and leaflets found in
a raid should be confiscated and destroyed, despite Uzbek legal procedure
being violated.
* See full article below. *

5 August 2010
UZBEKISTAN: “WE ARE BANDITS”

http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1476
By Mushfig Bayram, Central Asia Correspondent, Forum 18 News Service

Uzbekistan is continuing its policy of short-term jailings of prisoners of
conscience and large fines against Christians meeting together, Forum 18
News Service has learned. 10 Protestant short-term prisoners of conscience
have recently been jailed for between three and five days, and three were
fined 80 times the minimum monthly wage. As is often the case, the raid
which preceded the punishments – in which 23 people including small
children were detained – was carried out with great brutality.

The jail sentences given in the most recent known case are shorter than
some some other cases, which have often been for between 10 and 15 days,
and the most frequent use of long-term sentences for religious activity has
recently been against Muslim readers of the works of theologian Said Nursi
(see eg. F18News 14 July 2010
). However in April one
Baptist, Tohar Haydarov, was sentenced to 10 years in jail on what his
fellow Baptists repeatedly and strongly insist are fabricated drugs charges
(see F18News (see F18News 8 July 2010
).

Another trial of Muslims accused of reading Nursi’s works has begun in the
capital Tashkent (see below).

“Yes, we are bandits”

On 28 July Baptists from an unregistered church had gathered at the home of
Yuriy Garmashev, in Tashkent’s Mirzo-Ulugbek District, “to celebrate the
spiritual birthday of a church member” they told Forum 18 on 5 August.
“They were involved in nothing illegal, but having tea and singing some
spiritual songs.”

Mirzo-Ulugbek Police Major Ilyos Mustafayev along with Police Lieutenant
Colonel Abdullayev (who did not give his name) and other police officers
raided Garmashev’s home at 9 pm, the Baptists said. The police had
surrounded the house with five cars, and then broke into Garmashev’s home.
After confiscating two personal Bibles, four songbooks and one textbook of
violin lessons, the police then began “pushing the believers forcefully”
into cars outside, the Baptists complained. “Some believers were kicked and
hit while they were dragged out of the house.”

Baptists also said that Major Mustafayev “grabbed Garmashev’s ten-year-old
daughter by her dress and pushed her so hard that she could barely
breathe.” Major Mustafayev was “cynical and rude” when he was asked by the
Baptists why the Police acted like bandits. He replied: “Yes, we are
bandits”.

Major Mustafayev at the District Police Station, who answered the phone on
5 August, confirmed his identity to Forum 18. But as soon as Forum 18 asked
why his police officers raided the Baptist gathering and was abusive
towards the Baptists, he denied that he was Major Mustafayev. “Please, call
back tomorrow,” he said. Refusing to talk further he put the phone down.

The UN Committee Against Torture has found that the use of torture by state
officials is “routine” in Uzbekistan. The use or threat of torture is often
reported by victims of religious freedom violations who do not wish to
publicly testify to torture and other forms of brutality (see eg. F18News
29 April 2010 ).

Twenty-three detained

Twenty-three people, including some young children, who were present at
Garmashev’s home, were taken to the District Police Station immediately
after the raid. Ten of those detained were released almost 24 hours later
at 8 pm on 29 July, after being warned, Baptists told Forum 18. “Three of
those who were detained are hearing and speaking impaired, and a detained
four-year-old boy was scared by seeing how badly the police treated his
mother.”

Baptists also complained that all the detained had to sleep on wooden
chairs during the night. The remaining thirteen people, who were not
released the following day, were taken to the District Court to be
punished.

10 short-term prisoners of conscience, three massive fines

Judge Shukhat Bakayev of Mirzo-Ulugbek District Criminal Court in Tashkent
Region on 29 July, under the Administrative Code’s Article 194 Part 1 and
Article 201 Part 2, handed down massive fines and short-term jail sentences
to to all 13 people brought before the Court. All 13 are members of the
local unregistered Baptist Church, which belongs to the Council of Churches
Baptists who refuse on principle to seek state registration. Forum 18 has
seen a copty of the verdict.

Part 1 of Administrative Code Article 194 punishes “failure to carry out
the lawful demands of a police officer or other persons carrying out duties
to guard public order” with a fine of up to twice the minimum monthly
salary.

Part 2 of Administrative Code Article 201 punishes “violation of the
procedure for organising and conducting meetings, street processions or
demonstrations” with a fine between five and 10 times the monthly minimum
salary, or administrative arrest for up to 15 days.

Yuriy Garmashev was given five days under arrest, and nine others – Nikolay
Serin, Gleb Izmestyev, Stanislav Kim, Stanislav Anin, Yevgeni Vinokurov,
Davlat Ilakhunov, Dmitri Bilan, Vitali Liner, Nikolai Shaldayev were given
three days under arrest. Sisters Oksana and Yelena Kamyshina, and David
Goryachev, were each fined 80 times the minimum monthly salary, or a total
of 3,014,000 Soms (11,150 Norwegian Kroner, 1,410 Euros, or 1,860 US
Dollars) each.

Baptists told Forum 18 on 5 August that all the jailed short-term prisoners
of conscience have now been released.

Both Judge Bakayev and Mirzo-Ulugbek Police refused to comment on the
police’s actions. Forum 18 called several numbers at the Police Station on
5 August to discuss the case, but was told that both the Police Chief and
all his deputies were busy and not available to talk.

Judge Bakayev refused to comment on the case, stating that he will not
explain his decision. “I gave them a copy of the decision, and if they
disagree they can complain,” he told Forum 18 on 5 August.

Raided again

A Baptist told Forum 18 on 5 August that yesterday (4 August) police again
raided members of the same Church. this time raiding a church meeting.
“Police this time were more reserved while talking to the leaders of the
Church, but – after writing down the leaders’ names – warned them that they
would not leave the church alone.”

Another Muslim trial

Tashkent Regional Criminal Court under Judge Rustamov on 17 June began the
trial of nine former graduates of Turkish lycees for allegedly being
members of the Nursi Muslim movement, human rights defender Surat Ikramov
told Forum 18 on 5 August. The defendants are Zhasur Hassanov, Farhod
Hassanov, Dilmurod Rahmatov, Tohir Vakkasov, Oybek Latipov, Sherzod
Khaytboyev, Jamshid Zhabborov, Jahongir Tillayev and Asilkhuzha Turayev.
All of them are between 31 and 32 years of age, married, graduated from the
Turkish lycee in Angren in Tashkent Region in the same year, and have
higher education degrees. The verdict is expected next week (see
forthcoming F18News article).

Readers of Nursi’s works are often given long jail terms (see eg. F18News 8
July 2010 ).

Officially permitted Christian literature destroyed

Elsewhere, in western Uzbekistan’s Khorezm region, Judge Gayrat Sabirov of
Urgench [Urganch] Criminal Court on 24 July ordered that Christian
literature owned by Zoya Varakina should be confiscated and destroyed. The
verdict notes that Varakina’s home was raided on 9 June by Urgench City
Police, who found and confiscated 14 Christian books and 64 leaflets. Among
the confiscated books was a New Testament in Uzbek.

Varakina, a member of the local unregistered Baptist Church, was convicted
under the Administrative Code’s Article 184-2 (“illegal storage,
production, import, distribution of religious materials”). A human rights
defender, who wished to remain unnamed for fear of state reprisals, told
Forum 18 on 5 August that the “expert analysis” of Varakina’s books – as
the verdict notes – was made by the local Spiritual Administration of
Muslims or Muftiate, instead of by the state Religious Affairs Committee in
Tashkent. The Muftiate is under total state control (see the Forum 18
religious freedom survey of Uzbekistan
).

However it is illegal for the Muftiate to carry out such “expert analyses”.
The human rights defender also complained that these books are all
officially permitted books by the Religious Affairs Committee.

Under a Cabinet of Ministers decree of April 2004, only the state Religious
Affairs Committee is authorised to conduct expert analyses of religious
materials (see F18News 27 March 2007
). Despite this decree,
such analyses of religious literature are frequently conducted by
university staff, or other “experts” who have no legal right or authority
to do this (see F18News 18 May 2010
).

Judge Sabirov on 5 August refused to discuss with Forum 18 on what basis
the police raided Varakina’s home as well as why he ordered the destruction
of officially permitted Christian literature. He introduced himself as
Judge Sabirov when he answered the phone, but put the phone down as soon as
heard Forum 18’s question claiming that it was a wrong number.

All religious literature – even texts such as the Bible and Koran – is
under severe censorship, and is often ordered to be destroyed by courts
(see F18News 1 July 2008
). (END)

For a personal commentary by a Muslim scholar, advocating religious freedom
for all as the best antidote to Islamic religious extremism in Uzbekistan,
see .

For more background, see Forum 18’s Uzbekistan religious freedom survey at
.

Full reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Uzbekistan can
be found at
.

A compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments can be found at
.

A printer-friendly map of Uzbekistan is available at
.
(END)

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