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
28 November 2018
CRIMEA: Up to 10 years' jail for Muslims, Jehovah's Witness?
In "extremism" criminal cases opened by Russia's FSB in occupied Crimea, four Muslims face imminent trial, while Jehovah's Witness Sergei Filatov is under investigation. They face up to 10 years' jail. The Muslims "simply gathered in the local mosque to discuss religious questions", a lawyer stated. "We simply ask the authorities to respect our rights to meet together and read the Bible," Filatov told Forum 18.
23 November 2018
UZBEKISTAN: Raids, large fines, torturers and thieves unpunished
After a 19 November raid, Protestants are threatened with prosecution for having legally-bought religious literature. Officials who in September tortured Protestants and thieves who stole property from them remain unpunished. And 16 male police officers together "humiliated and pressured" a 19-year-old female Jehovah's Witness.
12 November 2018
KYRGYZSTAN: "The attackers are in freedom"
After an attack on a young Protestant leaving him seriously hospitalised, members of many religious communities have anonymously expressed concern at attacks and the impunity the authorities appear to give attackers. "Eldos is in hospital, and the attackers are in freedom", his lawyer commented.
7 November 2018
AZERBAIJAN: Religious freedom survey, November 2018
Azerbaijan restricts freedom of religion and belief, with interlinked freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. Forum 18's survey analyses violations including prisoners of conscience jailed and tortured for exercising freedom of religion and belief, strict state literature censorship, and regime claims of its "tolerance".
2 November 2018
DONBAS: Donetsk: Jehovah's Witnesses banned
The Supreme Court of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic banned Jehovah's Witnesses on 26 September, a decision that cannot be challenged. Jehovah's Witness activity "in any form" would face criminal punishment, the General Prosecutor's Office announced. Convictions could lead to a maximum eight-year jail term.
30 October 2018
KAZAKHSTAN: Ever harsher jailings for religious talks
In April 2017 Kazakhstan jailed Kuanysh Bashpayev for later banned Islamic talks. Now Galymzhan Abilkairov, one of two who posted some of the talks online before the ban, has been jailed for seven years, seven months. Dadash Mazhenov's verdict is due on 5 November.
25 October 2018
RUSSIA: Muslims, Jehovah's Witnesses arrested, Muslims convicted
A Krasnoyarsk court fined 24-year-old Andrei Rekst three months' average wages for studying theologian Said Nursi's writings with fellow Muslims. Another Krasnoyarsk Muslim awaits possible trial under house arrest, unable to attend mosque. Six prisoners of conscience are in labour camp for studying Nursi's works.
23 October 2018
DONBAS: Luhansk: Re-registration denials, raids, religious communities closed
No Baptist, Seventh-day Adventist or Pentecostal communities gained the compulsory re-registration the self-declared Luhansk People's Republic demanded by 15 October. Adventists received registration denial "with great pain" and reluctantly halted all their activities, trying to avoid church property seizure. Catholics are still awaiting an answer.
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.