The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one’s belief or religion
The right to join together and express one’s belief
21 February 2025
UZBEKISTAN: Prisoner of conscience facing extra third jail term?
A court jailed prisoner of conscience Fariduddin Abduvokhidov for 11 years in 2020 for discussing Islam with others, and another court added an extra 10 years in 2023. Now the 30-year-old is on trial for a third time accused of distributing "religious extremist" material and leading a "religious extremist" organisation while in prison. Judge Bahodir Alikulov of Navoi City Court refused to say why Abduvokhidov is being prosecuted for the same "crimes" now in prison. "I cannot share the details of the trial with you based on our Procedural Code," he insisted.
19 February 2025
UZBEKISTAN: Torturers' impunity "is mockery not justice"
Officials of Bukhara Region Prison No. 1 repeatedly tortured Muslim prisoner of conscience Tulkun Astanov. Prison officer Davr Sottiyev severely beat him and pledged to "give Astanov an injection which will soon kill him", a local Muslim told Forum 18. Despite complaints, the regime has taken no action against the suspect torturers. In January 2025 the Prison Governor called relatives with an implied threat of punishment if they lodge complaints. The Interior Ministry's Chief Directorate for the Enforcement of Punishments, General Prosecutor's Office, and Ombudsperson's Office refused to answer Forum 18's questions.
13 February 2025
TURKMENISTAN: Second conscientious objector sentenced to corrective labour
A second Jehovah's Witness conscientious objector is serving a corrective labour sentence, where the state takes a fifth of his wages. On 27 January, a Dashoguz Region court sentenced 20-year-old Agabek Rozbayew to 18 months' corrective labour. The indictment shows he informed the Military Conscription Office in September 2022 that he could not perform compulsory military service on grounds of conscience. More than 10 others appear to be under criminal investigation. An assistant to regime-appointed Ombudsperson Yazdursun Gurbannazarowa told Forum 18: "I have never heard of such kinds of problems." Muslim prisoner of conscience Myratdurdy Shamyradow is paralysed in prison hospital.
28 January 2025
KYRGYZSTAN: Repressive new Religion Law in force from 1 February
In defiance of international human rights obligations, the new Religion Law signed by President Sadyr Japarov on 21 January bans religious communities that do not have 500 adult citizen members, and bans unregistered religious activity and places of worship and sharing faith in public. State censorship of all religious materials continues. A new Amending Law in the Area of Religion – which takes effect in early February – among other things sharply increases Violations Code fines for violating the Religion Law. "The new Law does not make anything better or easier for us to practice our faith, but makes it more difficult," a Protestant stated.
17 January 2025
UZBEKISTAN: Eight Muslim prisoners of conscience tortured, handed long jail sentences
A judge in Karshi jailed 8 Muslim men for between 6 and 10 and a half years for exercising freedom of religion or belief. Four are former prisoners of conscience. The regime has used all the Criminal Code articles used in this case to jail – with as in this case the use of an informer - groups of Muslim men who met informally to pray and discuss their faith. Torture has also been used in such cases. Police threatened the men's families that if they appeal the jail terms will be increased.
8 January 2025
TURKMENISTAN: First conscientious objector punishment since 2021
On 7 January, Mary Regional Court on appeal punished 21-year-old Jehovah's Witness conscientious objector Arslan Wepayew with two years' corrective labour, with 20 per cent of his earnings to be taken by the regime. Also, 51-year-old Muslim prisoner of conscience Myratdurdy Shamyradow is in poor health in a strict-regime labour camp. "He can't stand and is almost paralysed. Health care in the camp is inadequate," Forum 18 has been told. His family have repeatedly asked for his sentence to be reduced. "These pleas have been ignored."
18 December 2024
KYRGYZSTAN: Muslim's jail term increased, raids on Jehovah's Witness, Hare Krishna, Protestant events
On 28 October, the Supreme Court restored the three-year jail term for 36-year-old Muslim prisoner of conscience Asadullo Madraimov which a lower court had earlier halved. He has been jailed since October 2023 for criticising the authorities for closing Kara-Suu District's Al-Sarakhsi Mosque. Police and NSC secret police raided Jehovah's Witness worship meetings in two southern towns 8 days apart in August, insisting the meetings were "illegal". Officials raided and closed down a Hare Krishna meeting in Bishkek in November and a Protestant conference in June, with summary fines for both.
13 December 2024
KYRGYZSTAN: Repressive new Religion Law passes first reading
Parliament has given first reading approval to two draft new laws increasing freedom of religion or belief restrictions. Among many other restrictions, the draft Religion Law makes it impossible for communities with fewer than 500 adult members to legally exist. Violations Code amendments sharply increase fines. "This is a very dangerous law," a religious community leader who wished to remain anonymous for fear of state reprisals told Forum 18. "They seem to be in a rush, and this is alarming," a human rights defender who wished to remain anonymous for fear of state reprisals told Forum 18.
6 December 2024
UZBEKISTAN: Demands to reopen, not demolish, church and mosque
Urgench Council of Churches Baptist Church and Tashkent's Shaykhontohur District Imam al-Bukhari Mosque are being simultaneously demolished. The Baptist Church is being demolished by the Bailiff's Department, and the Mosque by an unknown person or company with the full co-operation of the regime. By 5 December most of the roof, walls, and floors of the Baptist Church were destroyed, and most of the walls, roof, and dome of the Mosque were destroyed. Baptists and Muslims in both cities insist to Forum 18 that they want the demolitions stopped and their buildings returned, so they can use them to meet for worship.
29 November 2024
UZBEKISTAN: Religious communities blocked from using own buildings, registering
A wide range of religious communities continue to be blocked from using or repairing their own buildings, forcibly closed, gaining state registration, or having their grounds seized without compensation. These include Bukhara's registered Baptist Union Church, Tashkent Region's Abu Zar Mosque, Gazalkent's local Baptist Union Church, Gulistan's Baptist Church, Urgench Council of Churches Baptists, Jehovah's Witness communities nationwide, and the country's only functioning Buddhist temple in Tashkent. Officials do not answer their phones, refuse to answer, or give evasive excuses when questioned by Forum 18 about this.
15 November 2024
KAZAKHSTAN: Court bailiffs burn book seized at border, owner fined
On 12 July, border guards seized "Selected Hadiths" by Muhammad Yusuf Kandhlawi from Russian-based Kyrgyz citizen Sardor Abdullayev. The same day a court fined him 6 weeks' average wages for the book containing "social, national, clan, racial, or religious discord" and ordered it confiscated "with subsequent destruction". Asked what had happened to Abdullayev's book, Raikhan Nurzhalpova, head of North Kazakhstan Regional Justice Department's Implementation of Court Decisions Department, responded: "It was burnt." Under the strict religious censorship system, travellers can import only one copy of any religious book.
14 November 2024
KAZAKHSTAN: Religious Affairs Department "fighting against a quote from the Koran?"
Astana's Religious Affairs Department is seeking to punish Nurtas Adambay for quoting from the Koran in a video discussion on Islam on Instagram. "Frankly, I didn't know that in our country it is not allowed to quote a translation of the Koran," he wrote. Astana Inter-District Specialised Administrative Court has not yet heard the case. Department Head Kairolla Keshkali would not say why Adambay should be punished. Courts in Atyrau Region fined two people 3 weeks' average wage each for quoting from the Koran online.