Christian ''Mob'' Faces Fines Following Closure

In the latest action against unregistered churches, an unregistered Baptist church in Navoi, Uzbekistan has been banned from meeting to worship and the operator of a street library associated with the church faces possible criminal charges.

On September 27, church member Nikolai Nikulin was distributing religious books through a street library in Navoi when anti-terrorist police lieutenant Alisher Kurbanov confiscated the books. According to a report sent by the church to Forum 18, Kurbanov then banned members of the church from meeting for worship.

When confronted with the allegations from the church, Kurbanov told Forum 18, "This is not a church at all, just a religious mob." He also denied confiscating the books. "He [Nukulin] says he was giving them away for free, so I simply took them away to read them," Kurbanov claimed. "I'm very interested in these books."

Nikulin had previously spent ten days in jail on an "administrative offence" for "unlawful religious activity." Consequently, he could face criminal charges for the latest incident.

Pray for Nikolai Nikulin and the other members of the church in Navoi. Pray for wisdom and endurance as they face this opposition. Pray for Lieutenant Kurbanov and other officials opposing the Church in Uzbekistan, that they might see the truth of the Gospel and come to faith in Christ. Pray that Kurbanov really will read the books he has confiscated.

Uzbekistan Information

  • Current Ministry Project

    VOMC has been working with project partners over the past couple of years to affirm and equip Christian women for continued ministry and to encourage unity among them.

    Project Fund: Equipping the Saints

  • Country Information

    Population
    31,360,836 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Uzbek (83.8), Tajik (4.8), Kazakh (2.5), Russian (2.3) Karakalpak (2.2), Tatar (1.5), other (4.4)

    Religion (%)
    Islam (88), Eastern Orthodox (9), other (3)

    Leader
    President Shavkat Mirziyoyev (2016)

    Government type
    Presidential republic; highly authoritarian

    Legal system
    Civil law system

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Uzbekistan

    Thank you for praying on behalf of our brothers and sisters in Uzbekistan who are undergoing severe mistreatment by those governing over them. Ask the Lord to remind these persevering believers that they are truly His beloved children. As their Heavenly Father, He is the One who governs their souls and eternal destiny. May they have a heightened awareness of His abiding presence, everlasting love, help in times of trouble – and whatever else they specifically need – as conveyed through the infallible promises of His powerful Word.

Select a Region

Uzbekistan News

  • Easter Worship Services Raided
    Entry to a building; a pillar with intricate carvings is in the foreground.
    Pray for wisdom as Uzbek Christians gather.
    Photo: VOMC

    While members of the Baptist church in Karshi, Uzbekistan, were gathered for worship on Easter Sunday, April 9th, police broke open the door and forced their way inside. Using electrical prods, they incapacitated some of the attendees while others cried and prayed. Ten members, including young people, were taken to the police station where they were held in custody until mid-afternoon. The detained believers were released after records of offence were drawn up against them.

    Read more...

  • Christian Fined for Distributing Magazines
    Magazines

    This past Christmas, a neighbourhood celebration in Uzbekistan was hosted by Tatyana Akhmadiyeva, a member of a local Baptist church. At the event, she offered Christian magazines to 15 of her neighbours. Local authorities received a report about the distribution and summoned Tatyana for questioning. She was told that the publications had been imported illegally, since they had not been evaluated by the "Struggle with Extremism and Terrorism Department." As a result, the officials confiscated the magazines, which they claimed were unlawfully distributed, and fined Tatyana the equivalent of two weeks' average wages.

    Read more...

  • Registration Applications Denied
    Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tashkent - Photo: Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Evangelical_Lutheran_Church_in_Tashkent_15-12.JPG Bobyrr, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
    A Lutheran church in
    Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
    Photo: Wikipedia / Bobyrr (cc)

    Although religious communities in Uzbekistan would like to obtain official permission (to exist), as required by the state, all their applications have been blocked. Protestant churches, Shia Muslim communities, along with groups of other minority religious affiliation, have not only had their registrations denied, but now they are being subjected to subsequent fines, torture and other punishments.

    Read more...

  • Obstacles to Registration
    Prayer in the desert
    Join Uzbek believers in prayer as they seek the Lord for wisdom in these cases.

    A small number of religious communities in Uzbekistan received their registration in late 2019. However, many others are encountering major obstacles in their attempts to obtain registration, which would allow them to function legally. While Christians are one of the religious communities affected, other groups are facing similar impediments -- including bribe demands, land use permits and outright rejection. Some have chosen not to apply at all, believing they will be rejected anyway.

    Read more...

View All

Uzbekistan Videos

 
Uzbekistan: Shestakov family says thank you very much!
/component/allvideoshare/category/uzbekistan.htm
 
Uzbekistan: Why are evangelicals being persecuted?
/component/allvideoshare/category/uzbekistan.htm
 
Uzbekistan: Life Without A Husband And Father (The Shestakov Family)
/component/allvideoshare/category/uzbekistan.htm