Children's camps raided, threatened in Uzbekistan

Each summer, hundreds of children have the opportunity
 to attend church-run Christian camps across
 Central Asia. (Image, caption courtesy SGA)

Uzbekistan (MNN) ― Religious freedom is hitting a new low in Uzbekistan. According to Forum 18 News, police raided one children's camp and is trying to take the property of another.

Local Protestants were holding an unregistered children's camp recently when four buses carrying 80 officials arrived carrying 30 police and 20 riot police. Brandishing rubber batons, a source told Forum 18, they began questioning everyone-- including small children.

After collecting statements for six hours, the officials took everyone at the camp--9 adults and 22 children--back to the police station for further questioning.

And in another region, a children's camp is at risk of seizure. "Camp Joy" sits on property purchased in 2000 by the Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptist (UECB), a registered group of congregations supported by Slavic Gospel Association.

"The state does not want to buy the land back from the UECB. Instead, they want to confiscate it. The intention then is to turn around and sell the land to somebody else," says SGA's Joel Griffith.

Although the property's intended purpose is for hosting children's summer camps and activities, it hasn't been able to since 2009. That's when UECB had to change their leadership as a result of a police raid on Camp Joy.

"They actually have not used that for children's camps since then because it does carry a risk of arrest with it," Griffith states. "Whatever children's activities [UECB has] are held at different locations around the country."

Baptists told Forum 18 that officials have no legal ground to stand on. Under Uzbek law, actions like this have to be done within three years of the land purchase. The UECB bought the Camp Joy property in 2000.

Believers told Forum 18 that they don't understand why authorities waited 13 years to raise an issue like this. However, the case will go before a judge tomorrow.

"Once this court hearing gets held on August 15, we'll have a clearer idea of where things stand," says Griffith.

Pray for justice in tomorrow's court hearing.

While Uzbekistan's constitution guarantees religious freedom, Griffith says it's basically non-existent in everyday life.

"Whatever the churches do, they try to do it as quietly as possible; but it's always at great risk," he says. "[Uzbekistan is] supposed to have a very secular government; but again, you have the government cracking down on people of all faiths."

The battle over Camp Joy is only one challenge the UECB faces. Griffith says they also have a hard time registering new churches with the government: another state requirement.

"All religious faiths encounter difficulty," he explains. "Freedom of religion and freedom of thought, freedom of conscience, freedom of practice: they all encounter difficulties."

It's a problem noted in Forum 18's religious freedom survey, published last week, as well as the U.S. International Religious Freedom Report for 2012. Open Doors USA puts Uzbekistan at #16 on their World Watch List, a compilation of the world's 50 worst persecutors of the Christian faith.

"Pray that the Lord would move in the hearts of the authorities to change the situation on the ground in Uzbekistan," Griffith states.

Will you also ask the Lord to protect Gospel workers in Uzbekistan? Pray, too, for the Gospel to go forth unhindered.

"The Church is determined and committed to carrying out the Great Commission, no matter what man may do, and they've certainly proven that through the years," says Griffith.

"Despite the opposition, they're going to go on proclaiming the Gospel."

See how SGA supports the church in this mission.

Authorities falsify 'tax evasion' charges against a church in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan (SGA/MNN) ― In Uzbekistan, it seems that the success of an earlier case is being used as a template for an attack on another church.

Joel Griffith with the Slavic Gospel Association explains that in 2009, "There was a problem a couple of years ago where one of the children's camps that SGA helps sponsor called ‘Camp Joy' had been raided by authorities as well. In the aftermath of that, the Uzbek authorities forced the leadership of the Uzbek Baptist Union to step down."

The recent case stems from a similar move against another church in Tashkent. According to Forum 18 reports, "One of the key Baptist Churches in the capital of Tashkent was raided in the spring. A couple of weeks ago, the Uzbek authorities issued an indictment against the pastor, Konstantin Malchikovsky."
  
The case was filed on July 15, and a local judge heard the case July 27. Griffith notes the similarities of the charges which both sets of church leaders confronted. "They're officially accusing him of 'not paying in monies from church offerings and book sales.' Baptist leaders say these charges are completely false and have been fabricated by the authorities, and the pastor could get up to two years in jail if he's convicted."

With a charge like tax evasion, "It seems like a similar situation to what they were charging Camp Joy with as well (in 2009). Baptist leaders there are denying that such a thing took place."

The raid on the Tashkent property yielded money and tens of thousands of Christian books, as well as printing equipment. At the time, Pastor Malchikovsky and three other church members were fined between 50 and 100 times the minimum monthly wage.

The actions of the Uzbek government have prompted protest by SGA and others. The government has typically responded with what sounds like a reasonable security concern. "Basically, they're concerned about religious extremism, and they seem to try to push back against all religious groups. We do know that other churches have received similar pressure."

However, Griffith says, "It really seems to us now that this is an increasing push against Christian churches. Whether it's motivated by Islam, or whether it's by a secular government trying to keep its thumb on all religions, it's really hard to say at this point. But it does seem like Christians are getting the brunt of it."

In the meantime, SGA contacted their Congressman's office and asked him to look into this situation.  They've also asked Advocates International to investigate. It's unclear what good will come of the requests. "Uzbek authorities, thus far, seem to turn a deaf ear in the fact that when Western nations step up criticism, it also seems like Uzbek authorities step up their crackdowns."

Please join us in regular intercessory prayer for Pastor Malchikovsky and evangelical churches across Uzbekistan. The Christians in this area are bold. The stronger the crackdown, says Griffith, the more creative believers get in living the Gospel. He adds that "they will probably have to recommence some of the things that they did during the Soviet period, in terms of learning how to do things more quietly."

Griffith urges a solidarity stand. "Pray for great wisdom, not only for Uzbek churches, but also for western Christians and governments as they respond, that they would respond in the right way and in such a way that it would not put our brothers and sisters there at more risk."