Release International

Churches in Kazakhstan say officials are enforcing tough new policies on religious activity even before they have passed into law.

Kazakh Christians fear the new Religion Law will severely limit religious freedom by, for example, requiring all churches to re-register – and imposing strict registration criteria (Prayer Alert, September 27, 2011). 

Officially the law does not come into force until Wednesday (October 26). But evidence gathered by Forum 18 news service suggests that Kazakh officials are already citing the law to crack down on religious activity. 

In the south-west city of Atyrau, for example, police and security officials raided a worship meeting held in a local hall by a state-registered Protestant church called New Life last month. Officials cited the new Religion Law as the ground for the raid. A 17-year-old girl who tried to film the incident on her mobile phone was knocked unconscious by a police officer.

Officials claimed that the church could not legally meet outside its legally registered address – which is a local hotel. The church maintains that they had been forced to meet in the hall because officials had forced the hotel to end its rental agreement with them. 

Shortly before the raid, officials published an article in a local paper claiming that New Life pastor Galymzhan Nagmadinov was 'brainwashing' his congregation for his own financial gain. He roundly denies the accusation.

Kazakh Christians had expressed concern that the proposed legislation had been rushed through Parliament and should not have been approved without significant amendment – but President Nursultan Nazarbaev put his signature to the new laws on October 11.

Religious rights campaigners claim the new Religion Law violates Kazakhstan's international human rights commitments. As well as imposing a complex new  registration system, it requires faith groups to have both central and local government approval to build or open new places of worship. Other legislation soon to be approved has serious implications for the religious freedom of particular groups, such as children, and for the freedom to print religious literature.

NEWS UPDATE:
Release partners report that Pakistani Christian Agnus Bibi, who is awaiting trial for 'blasphemy', has been released on bail from jail in Faisalabad on health grounds. Detained in February, Agnus is reported to be seriously ill with a lung condition. She was admitted to hospital in August (Prayer Alert, August 8, 2011) but was released after just two days, despite continuing ill health. Release partner Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan arranged her legal support to file the successful bail petition.

(Sources: Forum 18, Sharing Life Ministry Pakistan)

• Ask God to sustain His church in Kazakhstan, amid fears that new legislation will limit religious freedom. Pray that the new legislation will prove unenforceable and that amendments will be made to uphold all citizens' religious rights.
• Pray God's complete healing and protection over Agnus Bibi. Pray that all charges will be dropped.

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