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Tashkent: Officials have been cracking down on
Christians throughout Uzbekistan in recent weeks,
according to delayed reports.
Thirteen Uzbek Christians from an unregistered Baptist
church in the city of Almalyk were arrested on March 15,
2009 when the Police Anti Terrorism Department raided a
home where they had gathered for worship.
On April 3, the Christians were found guilty of
"attracting believers of one confession to another" and
fined 50 times the minimum monthly salary. The verdict
states that the church members were distributing
religious literature without permission and had gathered
for an "illegal religious teaching meeting."
On April 5, two believers of an unregistered Baptist
church were apprehended at the Metro station in Tashkent
by police officials. Ilgiz Bikkinin (66) and Vera
Prokhorova (54) were questioned and their Bibles and
other Christian literature confiscated.
According to local believers, a case is being prepared
against them for their alleged "illegal production,
import, storage or distribution of religious literature"
and "violations of the Religion Law.”
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