A Catholic church has been raided and two nuns fined for reading the Bible at Mass, following which the Catholic Church was threatened with being banned.
Two foreigners at a registered Protestant church were also fined.
A Hare Krishna wedding rehearsal was also raided, the host fined, and Indian students present had their visas revoked.
The Interior Ministry, police "Departments for the Struggle against Extremism and Illegal Migration," the SCRA, and the NSC secret police refuse to explain why they violate legally-binding international human rights obligations.
On 26 March, the State Commission for Religious Affairs (SCRA), the National Security Committee (NSC) secret police, and Talas police "Department for the Struggle against Extremism and Illegal Migration" raided St Nicholas Catholic Church in Talas, in the north-western Talas Region, after a Sunday evening Mass was celebrated.
People leaving the
state-registered Church were forced back into the the Church by
officers, some of whom were carrying weapons.
People were forced by the armed officers to remain in St Nicholas Church
for about one and a half hours until two Slovak nuns, Sister Daniela
Cincilova and Sister Eva Eliasova, signed a statement that they were
"guilty" of alleged "illegal missionary activities" and "spreading their
ideology."
The SCRA then fined the nuns the maximum fine under
Violations Code Article 142, Part 4 ("Carrying out religious activity
without registration at the executive state body for religious affairs")
of 7,500 Soms each. 7,500 Soms is equivalent to just over two week's
average wages. The Catholic Church has appealed againts the fines.
Two foreign Protestants at a registered Protestant church were fined for
"illegal missionary activity" after a raid by state officials, a local
Protestant who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of state reprisals
told Forum 18.
The raid and fines also took place around the time St
Nicholas Church in Talas was raided, and included officials from the
police "Department for the Struggle against Extremism and Illegal
Migration" (see below).
Three days after the raid on St Nicholas Church, on 29 March, the SCRA
wrote to the Catholic Apostolic Administration in Bishkek (which leads
the Church in the country) threatening that if more "violations" happen
the SCRA will "take action against the Apostolic Administration in
Kyrgyzstan for its liquidation".
SCRA Deputy Director Kanatbek Midin uuly refused to explain to Forum 18
why his fellow-Deputy Director Zamir Kozhomberdiev threatened the
Catholic Church in writing with possible liquidation (see below).
On 11 June Interior Ministry and police "Department for the Struggle
against Extremism and Illegal Migration" officials, as well as SCRA
officials, raided the wedding rehearsal of a Hare Krishna couple, human
rights defender Erzhan Kayipov told Forum 18 on 25 July.
The wedding
rehearsal was taking place in the flat of another Hare Krishna devotee.
The devotee was fined 7,500 Soms, just over two weeks average wages, and
Indian students present had their student visas cancelled (see below).
The Interior Ministry and police "Departments for the Struggle against
Extremism and Illegal Migration," the State Commission for Religious
Affairs (SCRA), and the NSC secret police have all refused to explain to
Forum 18 why the regime is violating its legally-binding international
human rights obligations (see below).
On 26 March, the State Commission for Religious Affairs (SCRA),
the National Security Committee (NSC) secret police, and Talas police
"Department for the Struggle against Extremism and Illegal Migration"
raided St Nicholas Catholic Church in Talas, in the north-western Talas
Region, after a Sunday evening Mass was celebrated. People leaving the
state-registered Church were forced back into the the Church by
officers, some of whom were carrying weapons, Agenzia Fides reported on
29 March.
The police "Department for the Struggle against Extremism and Illegal
Migration" was previously called the "Department for the Struggle
against Extremism and Terrorism."
People were forced by the armed officers to remain in St Nicholas Church
for about one and a half hours until two Slovak nuns, Sister Daniela
Cincilova and Sister Eva Eliasova, signed a statement that they were
"guilty" of alleged "illegal missionary activities" and "spreading their
ideology."
Both nuns were forced by the armed officers to sign
statements admitting "guilt" under Violations Code Article 142 ("Violating the Religion Law").
The SCRA then fined the nuns the maximum fine under Violations Code
Article 142, Part 4 ("Carrying out religious activity without
registration at the executive state body for religious affairs") of
7,500 Soms each. 7,500 Soms is equivalent to just over two week's
average wages.
Fr Damian Wojciechowski SJ, Director of the Curia of the Apostolic
Administration, told Fides that he thought the raid and fines were the
result of ignorance on the part of local officials, as all the nuns had
done was to read out passages from the Bible at Mass.
Fr Wojciechowski
said this is not illegal as Kyrgyz law requires written state permission
for foreigners to preach and to lead worship, but the nuns had not done
this in the Mass.
The Catholic Church has appealed against the fines, but as of 2 August without success so far.
Neither Talas regional nor city police answered their phones when Forum 18 called them on 2 August.
Colonel Urmatbek Jumabekov, head of the Interior Ministry's "Department
for the Struggle against Extremism and Illegal Migration" (which
controls police departments with the same name) told Forum 18 on 2
August that he knew of the raid, detention of worshippers, and fines.
However, he refused to discuss them as he claimed to be in a meeting and
asked Forum 18 to call back in 30 minutes. When Forum 18 called back,
Colonel Jumabekov's phone was connected to a fax machine.
An NSC secret police
officer in the Investigations Division, who refused to give her name,
would not explain to Forum 18 on 1 August why armed officers raided a
Catholic Church, detained worshippers, and imposed an illegal fine on
the nuns.
The NSC officer asked Forum 18 to call back in 20 minutes, but
repeated calls later were not answered.
SCRA Deputy Director Kanatbek Midin uuly also refused to explain on 26
July why St Nicholas Church was raided by armed officers, worshippers
were detained, and two nuns were fined illegally by the SCRA.
"We will
definitely answer all your questions," he claimed.