Turkmenistan: Protestant Pastor Faces Five Years Imprisonment

A Pentecostal pastor remained in police custody Tuesday, August 31, in Turkmenistan where he faces five years imprisonment and confiscation of properties for “large-scale swindling”, charges his wife and church members strongly deny, rights activists said.

Uzbekistan Jails Baptists, Threatens Church

Police in Uzbekistan jailed ten Baptists for three to five days, and fining them 80 times the monthly minimum wage, according to a religious rights group, Worthy News learned on Monday, August 9.

Evangelical Group Condemns Uzbekistan Crackdown On Churches

An influential evangelical organization, which claims to represent over 400 million Christians worldwide, expressed concerns Tuesday, June 1, about police raids on Protestant congregations in Uzbekistan and the detention of several Christians in the former Soviet republic.

NEWS ALERT: Uzbekistan Jails Protestant Christians

An assistant pastor and two other members of one of Uzbekistan capital’s largest Protestant churches began serving 15-day jail terms Wednesday, May 19, on charges that included “violating” strict religious regulations of the former Soviet nation, trial observers said.

Uzbekistan Police Raid Church Feeding Homeless

Police in Uzbekistan broke up a Protestant youth conference, detaining dozens of Christians, and separately raiided and Protestant church feeding homeless people for allegedly violating local regulations, a religious rights group said Wednesday, April 21.

Christians In Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan Face New Restrictions

Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliev was to receive for signing the final version of controversial legislation “limiting freedom of religion” while Christians elsewhere in Central Asia faced similar restrictions Saturday, May 16, rights investigators and local believers said.

Mounting Concerns Over Detained Uzbekistan Pastor

An international protest was underway Tuesday, May 12, to obtain the release of a detained, frail, evangelical pastor in Uzbekistan, who came to symbolize what rights investigators described as widespread persecution of Christians and other minorities in Central Asia.

Azerbaijan Pastor Receives “Corrective Labor” Sentence

A well-known Baptist pastor in Azerbaijan was weighing his legal options Monday, February 23, after receiving a two-year “corrective labor” sentence for allegedly possessing an “illegal” weapon, trial observers said.

Tajikistan Churches Facing Closure In New Year

A major Christian rights group warned Tuesday, December 23, that many churches in the former Soviet republic of Tajikistan in 2009, if a new draft law requiring them to re-register under restrictive conditions is adopted by parliament.

Russia Authorities Threaten Baptists, report

Baptists in the Russian town of Lipetsk south-east of Moscow say local authorities are using “a bureaucratic way” to restrict their activities, BosNewsLife monitored Wednesday, December 3.

Kyrgyzstan Adopts Controversial Religious Law

Kyrgyzstan’s controversial new Religion Law was adopted unanimously by the country’s parliament Thursday, November 6, adding to concerns among small Christian groups and churches that they will be targeted by authorities.

Christian Missionaries Bring Bibles, Aid To South Ossetia

Christian missionaries said Tuesday, October 21, they have managed to distribute Russian Bibles and humanitarian aid in Georgia’s breakaway region of South Ossetia, which was devastated by two months of war between Russian and Georgian forces.

Belarus Bans Christian Festival, Group Says

Belarus has banned a Christian music festival, initiated by Catholics, minutes before it was due to begin, a religious rights group said Thursday, September 25.

Kazakhstan Baptists Fined For Unregistered Worship

Several Baptist Churches in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan continue have been raided by police because they refuse state registration on principal grounds, BosNewsLife learned Monday, September 15.

Worthy Christian News