Kazakhstan (MNN) ― According to the Forum 18 News Service,
officials are sending Pastor Makset Djabbarbergenov and his family back
to neighboring Uzbekistan, the nation they fled to escape religious
persecution. Forum 18 says Uzbek authorities put the Protestant pastor
on a wanted list for illegal teaching of religion and literature
distribution, religious "crimes" he had committed in 2007.
The charges against Djabbarbergenov each carries a maximum of three
years' imprisonment. Pray for the pastor and his family as they endure
this persecution. The Djabbarbergenovs are expecting their fifth child
in April. Pray that their faith remains steadfast.
An assistant working in the District Prosecutor's Office told Forum 18
that "Uzbek authorities are seeking to imprison Djabbarbergenov because
he led an unregistered Protestant church in his home town.
"As a person, I can say this is not right," he added. "But we have to follow the rules. We just collect the documentation."
Kazakhstan has a reputation for returning religious refugees in order to
maintain political favor with China and Uzbekistan. Forum 18 points out
that in June, the United Nations Committee against Torture (CAT)
criticized Kazakhstan for extraditing 29 Uzbek Muslim refugees in 2011.
Though the men sought asylum and religious refuge, Kazak officials
accused them of being terrorists and sent them back to Uzbekistan, where
intense persecution is routine.
Uzbekistan has steadily moved higher on Open Doors USA's World Watch List,
a compilation of the world's most heavily-persecuted nations. The
Central Asia nation ranked #10 on the list two years ago but has since
moved to #7 following increased governmental suspicion, police attacks, and raids. Common cruelty used by Uzbek authorities includes electric shock, beatings, rape, asphyxiation, and psychological abuse.
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