02/12/2010, 00.00
UZBEKISTAN
Send to a friend

Baptist falsely accused of selling drugs

Believers fear police might be targeting their community. Not recognised by the state, Baptists are systematically persecuted, so are some Muslim groups.
Tashkent (AsiaNews/F18) – Christians are being arrested and put on trial on trumped up charges. Tohar Haydarov is Baptist. Fellow Baptists said, “Police planted a matchbox with drugs” on him; he was “beaten and forced by the police to sign different papers.”

Arrested in the central Syrdarya region on 18 January, he was taken to his flat where police took his keys to get in and conduct a search. The latter was done in his absence. Police then claimed they found a plastic bag with marijuana on the premises.

The man is now charged with “illegal production, purchase, storage and other operation with narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances without the purpose of selling”, a crime punishable with up to five years in prison.

Members of Haydarov’s congregation are adamant that he would never sell drugs; they claim instead that the evidence was fabricated.

The Baptist Council of Churches rejects state registration in all the former Soviet republics where they operate. They insist that they have the right to meet for worship without registration.

Elsewhere, in Almalyk City (Tashkent Region), police broke into the home of another Baptist, Sergei Brislavski, where members of the local Baptist community were drinking tea. All 19 people present were arrested.  On their way to the police station, they were beaten. Eventually some were detained. They too fear they might be prosecuted under the existing religious law, which bans teaching religion.

Christians are not the only ones suffering. Police is also cracking down on Muslims who want to operate outside state recognised groups.

In Syrdarya, 57 Muslims were held for unspecified reasons. In Kashkadarya, a woman has been held in custody since 16 January for hosting a religious meeting in her house.

Uzbek authorities have rejected all such allegations, but they have also refused Forum 18’s requests to talk about them.

TAGs
Send to a friend
Printable version
CLOSE X
See also
Baptists and Jehovah’s Witnesses deemed “illegal”
03/09/2007
Bible burning and high fines for those who pray
28/11/2006
Baptists are fined, beaten, their Bibles seized, all for praying “without authorisation”
29/10/2010
Five years jail for those who convert Muslims to Christianity.
23/02/2007
"We are optimistic," says Paul Bhatti as Rimsha Masih's bail hearing postponed to Friday
03/09/2012


Newsletter

Subscribe to Asia News updates or change your preferences

Subscribe now
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”