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Ashgabat, Jehovah's Witness sentenced in secret, with (false) accusations of pornography
A court found Vladimir Nuryllaev guilty of "spreading pornography." There are six other Jehovah's Witnesses imprisoned for conscientious objection.
Ashgabat (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A Jehovah's Witness, Vladimir Nuryllaev, 39, was sentenced to four years in prison on charges of "spreading pornography" after a "secret trial" held in the capital, at which neither relatives or friends were allowed attend. "All this happened only because he is a Jehovah's Witness. Vladimir is a morally exemplary person and very devoted and has nothing to do with pornography," declare his fellow believers.
The judge Iskander Bekturdyev, of Azatlyk court in Ashgabad, sentenced Nuryllaev under Article. 164, Part 2 of the Criminal Code. The article punishes the "production or distribution of pornographic articles," by individuals or groups, the maximum penalty is five years. The verdict was handed down on January 18, Nuryllaev received 10 days to appeal. Nuryllaev is held since November 15, the day of his arrest, in Yashlyk prison, 40 km southeast of the capital.
Nuryllaev, a construction worker, makes a living by renovating homes. He lives in a small apartment in Ashgabat with his mother and other relatives. His problems began after an argument with a relative, who in September last reported him to police as a Jehovah's Witness, and revealed that the man had hidden religious literature in his closet. The agents arrived at his house and headed straight for the closet, and confiscated books.
In a subsequent search warrant, two police officers tried to take away his computer, without a warrant. Nuryllaev resisted and took note of the names of the agents, who beat him. After this incident, the police arrested him, claiming that it had handed over a disk containing pornography to two people on two separate occasions, near a supermarket and a park. His community says that it is a hoax: "Vladimir had never seen those people."
In Turkmenistan, there are six Jehovah's Witnesses still imprisoned for conscientious objection. Ashgabad denies people punished for religious or political reasons in the country, but a UN Committee notes that some denominations have no legal recognition and expresses concern for the Prohibition of worship in private homes (03/14/2011 Turkmen amnesty excludes Protestant and Jehovah's Witnesses).