Illegal Christmas as unregistered religious activity punished
15.01.2010. Category:Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan continues in 2010 to punish unregistered religious activity, in defiance of international human rights standards, Forum 18 News Service has learned. On 3 January, eight police officers raided a Christmas gathering organised by an officially registered church. Asked why celebrating Christmas was illegal, police told Forum 18 that the Full Gospel Holiness Church is "not registered" in Umid village. Three leaders of the Church face administrative charges as a result. Also, following an unregistered religious meeting in the southern Surkhandarya Region, Pastor Bakhrom Nazarov has been fined over 83 times the minimum monthly wage. 21 people are known to have suffered short-term jail sentences between February and August 2009. However, there were no known short-term jailings of people for exercising their freedom of religion or belief in the latter part of 2009. Asked why, a Judge told Forum 18 that "it may be because of the liberalisation of Uzbekistan's Judiciary, which is underway at the moment."
In violation of international human rights standards, Uzbekistan continues in 2010 to punish unregistered religious activity, Forum 18 News Service has learned. Recent known cases include: a court in southern Uzbekistan imposing a huge fine on a Protestant pastor for teaching Christian doctrines without registration; and police in Tashkent Region prosecuting the three Protestants leaders of an officially registered church for organising a Christmas celebration in an area where their church was not registered.
However, there were no known short-term jailings of people for exercising their freedom of religion or belief in the latter part of 2009. Asked why, a Judge told Forum 18 that "it may be because of the liberalisation of Uzbekistan's Judiciary, which is underway at the moment."Religious meeting "without official permission"Following an unregistered religious meeting in the southern Surkhandarya Region, Pastor Bakhrom Nazarov was fined 2,805,000 Soms (10,370 Norwegian Kroner, 1,270 Euros, or 1,840 US Dollars) by Termez City Criminal Court in late December 2009. The minimum monthly wage from 1 August 2009 is 33,645 Soms (125 Norwegian Kroner, 15 Euros, or 22 US Dollars).Pastor Nazarov was convicted under Uzbekistan's Administrative Code's articles 240 ("holding unregistered religious meetings") and 241 ("teaching of religious beliefs without specialist religious training and without permission from a religious organisation, and the teaching of religious beliefs in a private capacity"), a Protestant who wished to be unnamed for fear of authorities told Forum 18. Nazarov is the Pastor of an unregistered Full Gospel Church of Urgench City in north-western Uzbekistan. He has previously been harassed by the authorities, who in 2004 burnt literature, including an Uzbek Bible, confiscated from him (see eg. F18News 17 November 2004 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=455).
Explaining why he was tried in Termez, Judge Ilkhom Zukhorov of the City Criminal Court said that Pastor Nazarov "without official permission" had organised a religious meeting in the Region. He added that an appeal in a "few days" will be heard in the Regional Criminal Court. "Maybe the Regional Court will cancel the fine," Judge Zukhorov told Forum 18 on 13 January, when asked why such a huge fine was given. He said he could not make further comments, when asked by Forum 18 why a pastor should ask for state permission to teach Christian doctrines.Illegal ChristmasOn Sunday 3 January 2010 at around 1 pm, eight police officers raided a meeting held by the officially registered Holiness Full Gospel Protestant Church in a private home in Yangiyul District's Umid village, a person who wishes to be unnamed for fear of state reprisals told Forum 18.Tashkent Region's Yangiyul District Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is preparing administrative charges against Kholmet Ashirov, Ayazbek Taytaliyev and Rustam Usmanov, who are leaders of Holiness Church.
CID chief Captain Bobur Usmanov said that police will bring the case to court after the three leaders come to the CID offices to write statements. "They have switched off their cell phones, and are hiding from us," he told Forum 18 on 13 January. "In order to complete the pre-trial investigation, we need to have them write statements."Captain Usmanov told Forum 18 that "around 40 people had gathered in the place to celebrate Christmas." Asked why celebrating Christmas was illegal, Usmanov said that the Holiness Church is "not registered" in Umid village. He added that the Police raided the gathering on the tip given by the local mahalla (self-government) committee. Mahalla committees are used by the authorities as a key instrument in their attempts to control Uzbek society (see eg. F18News 1 December 2005 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=698). Uzbek officials wrongly claim that the alleged unwillingness of local residents allows the state to, under international law, stop religious organisations from operating (see eg. F18News 9 January 2008 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1068).
"We are human beings, and we understand that these people had gathered for a meal," Captain Usmanov explained. "We released the church members but questioned the leaders." He did not say whether the church was given a chance to finish the meal. Asked why the leaders were treated differently, Captain Usmanov said that they did not ask for permission to hold the celebration from the local authorities.Taytaliyev and Usmanov were earlier in 2009 were jailed for five days under the Administrative Code's articles 201 ("violation of the procedure of arranging, holding of meetings, gatherings, street marches or demonstrations"), 240 ("holding unregistered religious meetings"), a Protestant who wished to be unnamed told Forum 18. "Now, we fear that criminal proceedings may be opened against them."Confirming the jail sentences, Police Captain Usmanov said that the two Protestants were tried by Yangiyul District Court in March 2009, and given 15-day administrative arrests. These were reduced to five days on appeal. Usmanov, without giving any details, stated that police will "only" bring the case to the court for an administrative punishment. However, he was quick to add that "if they are found guilty for the same violations, we will open a criminal case against them."
Source: Forum 18
In violation of international human rights standards, Uzbekistan continues in 2010 to punish unregistered religious activity, Forum 18 News Service has learned. Recent known cases include: a court in southern Uzbekistan imposing a huge fine on a Protestant pastor for teaching Christian doctrines without registration; and police in Tashkent Region prosecuting the three Protestants leaders of an officially registered church for organising a Christmas celebration in an area where their church was not registered.
However, there were no known short-term jailings of people for exercising their freedom of religion or belief in the latter part of 2009. Asked why, a Judge told Forum 18 that "it may be because of the liberalisation of Uzbekistan's Judiciary, which is underway at the moment."Religious meeting "without official permission"Following an unregistered religious meeting in the southern Surkhandarya Region, Pastor Bakhrom Nazarov was fined 2,805,000 Soms (10,370 Norwegian Kroner, 1,270 Euros, or 1,840 US Dollars) by Termez City Criminal Court in late December 2009. The minimum monthly wage from 1 August 2009 is 33,645 Soms (125 Norwegian Kroner, 15 Euros, or 22 US Dollars).Pastor Nazarov was convicted under Uzbekistan's Administrative Code's articles 240 ("holding unregistered religious meetings") and 241 ("teaching of religious beliefs without specialist religious training and without permission from a religious organisation, and the teaching of religious beliefs in a private capacity"), a Protestant who wished to be unnamed for fear of authorities told Forum 18. Nazarov is the Pastor of an unregistered Full Gospel Church of Urgench City in north-western Uzbekistan. He has previously been harassed by the authorities, who in 2004 burnt literature, including an Uzbek Bible, confiscated from him (see eg. F18News 17 November 2004 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=455).
Explaining why he was tried in Termez, Judge Ilkhom Zukhorov of the City Criminal Court said that Pastor Nazarov "without official permission" had organised a religious meeting in the Region. He added that an appeal in a "few days" will be heard in the Regional Criminal Court. "Maybe the Regional Court will cancel the fine," Judge Zukhorov told Forum 18 on 13 January, when asked why such a huge fine was given. He said he could not make further comments, when asked by Forum 18 why a pastor should ask for state permission to teach Christian doctrines.Illegal ChristmasOn Sunday 3 January 2010 at around 1 pm, eight police officers raided a meeting held by the officially registered Holiness Full Gospel Protestant Church in a private home in Yangiyul District's Umid village, a person who wishes to be unnamed for fear of state reprisals told Forum 18.Tashkent Region's Yangiyul District Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is preparing administrative charges against Kholmet Ashirov, Ayazbek Taytaliyev and Rustam Usmanov, who are leaders of Holiness Church.
CID chief Captain Bobur Usmanov said that police will bring the case to court after the three leaders come to the CID offices to write statements. "They have switched off their cell phones, and are hiding from us," he told Forum 18 on 13 January. "In order to complete the pre-trial investigation, we need to have them write statements."Captain Usmanov told Forum 18 that "around 40 people had gathered in the place to celebrate Christmas." Asked why celebrating Christmas was illegal, Usmanov said that the Holiness Church is "not registered" in Umid village. He added that the Police raided the gathering on the tip given by the local mahalla (self-government) committee. Mahalla committees are used by the authorities as a key instrument in their attempts to control Uzbek society (see eg. F18News 1 December 2005 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=698). Uzbek officials wrongly claim that the alleged unwillingness of local residents allows the state to, under international law, stop religious organisations from operating (see eg. F18News 9 January 2008 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1068).
"We are human beings, and we understand that these people had gathered for a meal," Captain Usmanov explained. "We released the church members but questioned the leaders." He did not say whether the church was given a chance to finish the meal. Asked why the leaders were treated differently, Captain Usmanov said that they did not ask for permission to hold the celebration from the local authorities.Taytaliyev and Usmanov were earlier in 2009 were jailed for five days under the Administrative Code's articles 201 ("violation of the procedure of arranging, holding of meetings, gatherings, street marches or demonstrations"), 240 ("holding unregistered religious meetings"), a Protestant who wished to be unnamed told Forum 18. "Now, we fear that criminal proceedings may be opened against them."Confirming the jail sentences, Police Captain Usmanov said that the two Protestants were tried by Yangiyul District Court in March 2009, and given 15-day administrative arrests. These were reduced to five days on appeal. Usmanov, without giving any details, stated that police will "only" bring the case to the court for an administrative punishment. However, he was quick to add that "if they are found guilty for the same violations, we will open a criminal case against them."
Source: Forum 18