UZBEKISTAN: Punished for Religious Books at Home

Source: Forum18, September 29, 2016

A Baptist from Urgench [Urganch] in the north-western Khorezm Region has been punished for a second time within a year for having Christian books at home, which state officials regard as illegal. As this was a second punishment, Stanislav Kim was convicted under the Criminal Code, receiving a two-year corrective labor sentence.

A Presbyterian Christian in the capital Tashkent was fined in May for having religious literature at home. The Christian literature was ordered to be handed to the state-backed Muslim Board.

A criminal trial against him began in September for illegal use of computers.

In Surkhandarya Region, four Baptists were punished for religious literature confiscated during an illegal house search. Two Bibles, as well as other books and discs, were ordered destroyed. Officials claimed one book was banned because it could be used to spread a faith. They also claimed Baptists are banned in the region because they do not have state registration.

In Zarafshan, a Baptist pastor and his wife were fined for Bibles and Baptist song books seized from their home.

[These] eight individuals are among many punished for having personal religious literature in their homes. The authorities regard such possession of religious literature as illegal.

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