Keston News Service Summary: Tajikistan, Turkmenistan & Ukraine
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Subject: Keston News Service Summary: Tajikistan, Turkmenistan & Ukraine
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Keston Institute <[email protected]>
Keston News Service Summary: Tajikistan, Turkmenistan &
Ukraine
KESTON INSTITUTE, OXFORD, UK
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KESTON NEWS SERVICE – SUMMARY 22-26 October 2001
Summaries of recent reporting on violations of religious liberty and
on religion in communist and post-communist lands.
______________________________________
SUMMARIES:
TAJIKISTAN: 'ALL-OUT CAMPAIGN' AGAINST CHRISTIAN ACTIVITY IN SOUTHERN
REGION (23 Oct) A leaked letter from the head of the government’s
religious affairs agency in Tajikistan’s southern Khatlon region,
which borders Afghanistan, reveals official concern about ‘increased
activity’ by Christian churches in the region which, he declares,
should be placed under ‘the most stringent control’. The 6 September
letter, obtained by Keston News Service, was written by Kamolov (first
name unknown) and addressed to the head of Khatlon region, N.
Miraliev. Local Protestants have told Keston that this letter, and an
instruction issued eleven days later by the region’s first deputy head
calling for closer scrutiny of Christian groups, heralded what they
term a ‘real persecution’ of Christians in the region. Law enforcement
officials regularly visit Christian churches that have already been
registered and are trying to find formal grounds to close them down.
(see full article below)
TAJIKISTAN: EVANGELICAL CHURCH FEARS LOSING REGISTRATION (23 Oct) The
head of an Evangelical Christian youth group from the southern town of
Sarband in Khatlon region, Shirmo Kabirova, has told Keston News
Service that the town authorities are using every means to hamper the
activity of the community. The Evangelical Christian community, which
has registration, consists of 15 people, while around 20 people attend
their meetings regularly. Kabirova claims the head of the local branch
of the ex-KGB, Djavol Godoyev, is leading the campaign. However,
although he denied to Keston that he has taken action against the
church, he alleged that the church had used ‘deception’ to gain
registration and openly described it as a ‘sect’ which bribed Tajiks
to convert.
TURKMENISTAN: DELAYED BAPTIST DEPORTATIONS IMMINENT? (24 Oct) The
deportation of twelve family members of two Baptist men themselves
deported from Turkmenistan during the summer in punishment for their
religious activity appears imminent, Keston News Service has learnt.
Local Baptists reported that an officer of the National Security
Committee came to the homes of Nadezhda Potolova and Valentina
Kalataevskaya and their families in the Caspian port of Turkmenbashi
on 15 October and told them to leave the country within ten days. The
families escaped deportation in August.
UKRAINE: STALEMATE OVER KHARKIV’S GREEK CATHOLIC CHURCH (25 Oct).
Although the authorities in Kharkiv bowed to pressure last month and
allowed the Greek Catholic Church to retain a plot of land it had
previously been allocated, they have still not given permission to
begin building a church on the site, claiming that this will lead to
tension. One city official told Keston News Service that senior
officials do not want to find a solution, despite their claim to be
looking for new options to offer the 300-member congregation. The site
has already been consecrated. The Greek Catholic parish priest
believes religious intolerance is at the root of the problem.
Tuesday 23 October
TAJIKISTAN: 'ALL-OUT CAMPAIGN' AGAINST CHRISTIAN ACTIVITY IN SOUTHERN
REGION
by Igor Rotar, Keston News Service
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For the full text, see http://www.keston.org/knsframe.htm
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