Foreign Christian students targeted by Russia’s security services
World Watch Monitor Foreign students of Pentecostal churches in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region have become a particular target for the authorities under the so-called “anti-missionary” law introduced two years ago, Forum 18 reports. The vague definition of “missionary activity” in the law, officially titled the Yarovaya Law after one of its authors, has meant that law enforcement authorities could understand “virtually […]
Five Baptists fined on non-specific charges in Uzbekistan
World Watch Monitor Five members of a Baptist church in the southern Uzbek city of Karshi were detained and fined for meeting without state permission, without hearing the exact charges, reports Forum 18. Police also raided the homes of two Baptists, Khamid and Ziyatullo Rakhmonov (not related), on 23rd May, and took them to the police […]
Kazakhstan passes Religion Law that “undermines principles of human rights”
World Watch Monitor Kazakhstan’s Parliament has approved a set of wide-ranging amendments to the country’s Religion Law, refusing calls from civil society groups for a legal review by an independent body. The new set of restrictions, which are expected to further infringe upon religious freedom and have been criticised for violating international human rights law, were […]
Tajikistan’s new Religion Law ‘represents total control’
World Watch Monitor Amendments to Tajikistan’s Religion Law, which came into force in January, have given the state a “total control” over religious freedoms, reports regional news agency Forum 18. “Instead of improving the Law, the amendments worsened it and made it more restrictive. The Law represents total control and is unjust,” human rights defender Faizinisso […]
US agency accuses Russia of abusing anti-extremism laws
World Watch Monitor Russia’s anti-extremism laws are being used to crack down on peaceful religious minorities such as Protestants, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Hare Krishnas, the top US religious-freedom watchdog says. A report commissioned by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom found that “vague and problematic definitions of ‘extremism’ in Russian law give the authorities […]
China’s new religion regulations expected to increase pressure on Christians
World Watch Monitor All religious establishments in China are bound by the new Regulations for Religious Affairs that came into force on 1st February. The regulations, which define the administrative framework around religious activities, have the stated aim of “protect[ing] citizens’ freedom of religious belief”. Detailed criteria are given for religious organisations to meet in order to […]
Hundreds punished for practising faith in Kazakhstan in 2017
World Watch Monitor Kazakhstan prosecuted 279 individuals, groups and organisations last year for conducting activities related to religion, according to news agency Forum 18. The ‘offences’ included attending worship meetings, importing religious literature, telling other people about a faith, praying, allowing a parent to bring a child to a religious meeting, and inadequate security measures. Punishments […]
Evangelical churches in Turkmenistan want official registration
World Watch Monitor Christians make up just 1.3 per cent of the Turkmenistan’s population PICTURE: World Watch Monitor Six evangelical churches in Turkmenistan have submitted a letter to President Gurbanguly Berdimukhamedov asking to be allowed to register as official religious communities. Following the adoption of a new law on religious organisations and religious freedom in […]
European court condemns Hungary’s church law
BosNewsLife Hungary’s embattled government is weighing its options after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) upheld an April ruling in favour of evangelical and other denominations who were stripped of their church status under controversial legislation. The Strasbourg-based court rejected the government’s appeal, saying the nine churches are entitled to compensation. It said the […]