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
19 October 2018
UZBEKISTAN: Under-18s pressured, illegal raids, legal books confiscated
In Uzbekistan's Bukhara Region police try to stop males under 18 attending mosques. In Tashkent Region Protestants illegally detained faced police "psychological pressure" resulting in two being hospitalised. In Navoi Region, courts have ordered legally-bought books including Bibles and New Testaments to be confiscated.
17 October 2018
KAZAKHSTAN: Ten years jail if Germany extradites Muslim?
Murat Bakrayev has not been in his native Kazakhstan since 2005, but Kazakhstan now wants his extradition from Germany on terrorism-related accusations. Family and friends say he is being detained and his extradition sought for refusing to join Kazakh state-controlled mosques and teaching Islam.
12 October 2018
DONBAS: Donetsk: Places of worship seized, sealed
A Baptist Church in Novoazovsk is the latest place of worship known to have been confiscated by the rebel Donetsk People's Republic. Rebels are known to have earlier seized a Mosque, a Baptist Church and Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Halls. Rebel officials claim many were abandoned, but communities deny this.
5 October 2018
TAJIKISTAN: Hijab-wearing and beards ban continues
Tajikistan continues beard and hijab-wearing bans, and has forced one couple to divorce. Police set up a roadblock to enforce the bans, which are also been enforced in schools and universities. Officials have refused to give Forum 18 a legal reason for the bans.
3 October 2018
AZERBAIJAN: Fines, censorship amid state control of Islam
Agsu court fined three Muslims after state religious affairs officials and secret police raided a home religious meeting. A Baku court rejected theologian Elshad Miri's appeal against a state ban on his book on Islam. The government must explain to the European Court of Human Rights why it jailed Sardar Babayev for leading mosque prayers.
28 September 2018
KAZAKHSTAN: Senate approves more religious freedom restrictions
Parliament's upper house adopted almost unchanged wide-ranging amendments to Kazakhstan's Religion Law and 10 other laws in both first and second readings on 27 September. The Amending Law – described by one Muslim as "extremely harsh" – returns to the lower house, the Majilis, before final adoption.
25 September 2018
KAZAKHSTAN: Senate to adopt "extremely harsh" religion amendments?
Parliament's upper house is due to hold its first and possibly also second reading on 27 September of wide-ranging amendments to Kazakhstan's Religion Law and other laws. "This draft Law is extremely harsh, harms the rights of believers and should not be adopted in its current form," a Muslim told Forum 18.
21 September 2018
TURKMENISTAN: Tenth jailed conscientious objector in 2018
Turkmenistan rejected a call at the UN Human Rights Council UPR to introduce an alternative to compulsory military service. The rejection came weeks after another conscientious objector, 18-year-old Serdar Atayev, was jailed for one year. Ten are known to have been jailed in 2018.
20 September 2018
UZBEKISTAN: Jailings "to intimidate all who speak about freedoms"
After police and SSS secret police raids, at least eight bloggers were jailed "to intimidate all others who want to speak about freedoms", a relative of one told Forum 18. Tashkent blogger Adkham Olimov, jailed for 15 days and fined at a midnight court hearing, had to pay for his own jailing.
18 September 2018
AZERBAIJAN: Second 2018 conscientious objector conviction
On 6 September, a court in western Azerbaijan handed a criminal conviction to a second Jehovah's Witness conscientious objector. Vahid Abilov received a one-year suspended prison term and will be under probation for one year. He is planning to appeal. Three more similar cases might follow.
14 September 2018
UZBEKISTAN: Secret Supreme Court hearing rejects appeal
Without his participation or knowledge, Uzbekistan's Supreme Court rejected Gayrat Ziyakhojayev's appeal against his criminal conviction for sharing Muslim texts with friends. A Tashkent Region court returned a criminal case against a Jehovah's Witness couple to prosecutors. The case seeks to punish them for sharing their faith with others.
13 September 2018
RUSSIA: Criminal investigations of 69 Jehovah's Witnesses - list
Full list of 69 Jehovah's Witnesses charged or named as suspects or currently on trial for "extremism"-related offences as of 13 September 2018. Of these, 25 are in detention, 9 under house arrest and 30 under travel restrictions. Four are thought not to be under restrictions.