The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is expressing concern over what it says is an erosion of religious freedom in Kazakhstan
“Kazakhstan, once a leader in Central Asia on freedom of religion or belief, is a leader no more,” said Robert P. George, Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. “Highly restrictive laws have damaged Kazakhstan’s international standing and have resulted in many Kazakh’s citizens religious freedoms being violated.”
In its 2013 Annual Report, USCIRF stated there has been a severe drop in religious freedom protections in Kazakhstan over the past five years. USCIRF says the Kazakh government has enforced its 2011 religion law’s ban on unregistered religious activity, through police raids, detentions, and major fines. USCIRF says religions are required to register, and the difficult registration process has led to a sharp drop in the number of registered religious groups. Last year, USCIRF for the first time placed Kazakhstan on its Tier 2 list of those countries where religious freedom restrictions are on the threshold of those of a Country of Particular Concern.
Kazakhstan is a nation in Central Asia. It is the world’s largest landlocked country by land and the ninth largest country in the world. Kazakhstan has a territory of 1,053,000 square miles; larger than Western Europe.
Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet Republics to declare independence following the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
The nation has a population estimated at 16.6 million. Open Doors says there are an estimated 1.9 million Christians in the country.
Islam is the religion of about 70 percent of the population.
In September 2011, the prime minister of Kazakhstan signed new religious-legislation into law. The law restricts religious activities to a great extent.
International Christian Concern cites the situation of a 67-year old Presbyterian pastor in detention. ICC says Pastor Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev was initially arrested in May of last year on the charge of “harming a parishioner.” ICC sources say in August of last year he was transferred to a psychological hospital and subject to nineteen psychological examinations over a single month. In July, just before his transfer to the hospital he wrote to the United Nations pleading for assistance, saying “It will not take much for the authorities for make me a vegetable … I am begging you to protect me.”
Open Doors USA says two charges of extremism against the pastor have been dropped.
The prosecution has not dropped the charge of “harming a parishioner.” According to International Christian Concern, the church member he has been accused of harming has publicly denied many times that she was ever hurt.
Open Doors contacts in Kazahkstan says the pastor and his lawyers refused to participate in a hearing last month. According to Kazahkstan law, a court hearing cannot continue without a lawyer.
Forum 18 News Service reports last year 149 “administrative fines” were imposed on individuals for exercising the right to “freedom of religion”. According to Forum 18, four individuals were given small administrative fines and two were imprisoned for failing to pay fines.
Open Doors says Kazahkstan is number 39 on the World Watch List of countries where the persecution of Christians is the worst. According to Open Doors Christians in the nation most affected by persecution are the non-registered largely Protestant Christians. Open Doors says the laws restrict the right of assembly as well as the production and use of religious literature and training. In March of last year, a court verdict ordered the destruction of 121 religious books, including Bibles. The court did reverse its decision after public protests. Open Doors says the situation is getting worse, and even the Russian Orthodox Church is beginning to face difficulty.
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