Religious Law International Document Database

Religious minorities still under attack in Uzbekistan

August 25th 2008 – Uzbekistan

Several recent trials indicate that religious minorities in Uzbekistan still face governmental attacks, Forum 18 News Service reports. Citing the trials of two Protestants in Nukus (northwestern region of Karakalpakstan) and several Jehovah’s Witnesses in Margilan (eastern Fergana) and Navoi (central Uzbekistan), Forum 18 reports that some defendants were sentenced to a term of years in work camps, others’ prison sentences were suspended but the defendants are subject to strict probation terms (including a prohibition against participating in the activity of the “formal organization of the Jehovah’s Witnesses” such as discussing religion or sharing religious materials with others), and most were fined varying amounts. In at least one case (involving multiple defendants), the court ordered that seized religious literature, including CDs, video tapes, books, and magazines, be destroyed. Two Navoi defendants reported police beatings, with one woman stating that she was refused hospital care after a police beating because of police pressure. The Navoi police continue to deny that these beatings occurred. In both the Nukus Protestant cases and the Navoi Jehovah’s Witnesses cases, the police have claimed that they must prosecute these people because their religious organizations have been banned. In Nukus, the judge in one of the cases stated that the defendant was fined for unregistered religious activity. When asked about the frequency of prosecutions in Nukus for unregistered religious activity, the judge stated that these organizations “are probably not collecting in a timely manner the necessary documents for registration, or are violating something.” The defendant stated that his church had been registered in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent. However, it had been stripped of its registration and members were working to collect the necessary documents to register again. In Navoi, police claimed that they “had to” detain Jehovah’s Witnesses “because the Jehovah's Witnesses are a banned organisation in Uzbekistan." Igor Ivanov, purported attorney for the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Uzbekistan, however, told Forum 18 that “we are not aware that Jehovah’s Witnesses are banned.” For more information, please see the Forum 18 news report.

For further information please visit:
http://forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1176

Difficulties for religious communities in Belarus

July 25th 2008 – Belarus

Forum 18 New Service is reporting that Belarusian officials are trying to prevent at least three congregations in the Grodno area from performing “peaceful, religious activity.” Forum 18 states that Belarus is “the only country in Europe requiring religious organizations to gain state registration before they engage in religious activity.” In Svisloch, authorities have denied permission for an open-air baptism, stating that it is a popular beach and that “in good weather 200 people come there—they have a right to relax.” Asserting that it is “not a ban,” officials state that it is simply “a question of location—this is not the place and they must choose somewhere else [to hold their baptism].” Unfortunately, the Pentecostal bishop for the Grodno area complained that there are “three suitable places in Svisloch, but [authorities] won’t give permission to use any.” The letter rejecting the church’s request stated that since the “overwhelming majority of residents of the town belong to the two confessions historically found on Slavic territory—Orthodoxy and Catholicism—the rite of baptism conducted by members of your religious organization could arouse mixed reactions among the population.” Attempts to negotiate with officials have proved fruitless. In Mosty, Pastor Valentin Borovik heads a 13-person Pentecostal congregation, unable to register because it does not yet have the required 20 adult citizen members. Additionally, Pastor Borovik maintains that Article 31 of the Belarusian Constitution provides for free religious worship. However, on March 16, 2008, a “check-up” by officials in Mosty found that a religious service without registration was being conducted in a private home. Borovik was tried for meeting without registration and fined. He appealed the ruling and was granted a review of the case, but the eventual fine more than double the amount of the original fine. The verdict states as evidence of Borovik’s offense the following, “at meetings they read the Gospel, discuss questions of religious faith, sing songs and conduct religious rites.” Borovik states that they have already paid the fine—there was nothing else they felt they could do—and that members simply paid what they felt they could afford to contribute. However, it is possible that a second trial for a similar offense could carry a fine of up to 1,000,000 Belarusian rubles (302 Euros or 474 US Dollars). In Grodno, Pastor Yuri Kravchuk complains of repeated harassment by local authorities. Pastor Kravchuk’s congregation is part of the Council of Churches, a council of Baptist churches who refuse on principle to register their congregations with the state in any of the former Soviet countries. Kravchuk’s Sunday services (held in private homes) have been interrupted on multiple occasions; he has been prosecuted (a verdict is still currently pending); and, most recently, he has been summoned to the Executive Committee by the senior state regional religious affairs official, who showed him an official notification that his Sunday services violated the Administrative Code, Article 9.9, Part 5. This section of the Code allows for a fine of 14 to 20 times the minimum monthly wage for repeat religious offenses within 1 year. Church members are asking authorities to drop the case and to allow them to “hold services and praise God in a private house without obstruction.” Other religious congregations and pastors have also been harassed, prosecuted, fined, and prohibited from holding religious meetings and performing rites such as baptism.

For further information please visit:
http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1163

Turkey's Parliament passes proposal to amend constitution to allow headscarves in state-run universities

February 11th 2008 – Turkey

Aljazeera.net is reporting that Turkey’s parliament passed a proposal to amend their constitution to say that every person has a right to equal treatment from state-run institutions and that “no one can be deprived of [his or her] right to education.” This amendment is being interpreted as a direct assault on the headscarf ban in state-run universities and has been the cause of controversy and protesting. The amendment was passed by 411 votes to 103 in the parliament. A two-thirds majority was required for it to pass. Since 1980, the headscarf ban has been strictly enforced on university campuses. It has gained a high profile in recent years, including a European Court of Human Rights case, Leyla Sahin v. Turkey, decided by the Grand Chamber in 2005. Koksal Toptan, parliamentary speaker, is quoted by Aljazeera.net as saying that he hopes that the constitutional change “will be for the best for Turkey” and that “it is done in a spirit of tolerance and reconciliation.” The government plans to change laws that govern higher education to allow head coverings, but they intend to regulate what kinds of head coverings can be worn, prohibiting full-length chadors or burqas. The main opposition Republican People’s Party has vowed to appeal this decision to the constitutional court to have it overturned.

For further information please visit:
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2008/02/200852512325861200.html

US Department of State spokesman comments on Belgium Legal Action against Scientology

September 4th 2007 – Belgium

A US Department of State spokesman commented on the recommendation of a Belgian prosecutor that the Church of Scientology stand trial for fraud and extortion, following a ten-year investigation, which concluded the group should be labeled a criminal organization. The spokesman said that if authorities have evidence that Belgian law was violated, appropriate legal steps should be taken, consistent with Belgium’s obligations to protect freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. He reiterated, however, that the US would oppose any effort to stigmatize a group based on its religious beliefs, and would be concerned about any infringement of individual rights based on religious affiliation.

Orthodox Church tells Catholics to give up Russia missions.

August 29th 2007 – Russian Federation

The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Alexiy II, told an Italian paper that a first meeting with Pope Benedict would only make sense if the Vatican gave up any missionary ambition to spread Catholicism in his country.

European Commission considers probe into Italian church tax breaks.

August 28th 2007 – Belgium

By Lucia Kubosova. The European Commission is considering whether to launch an investigation into tax exemptions provided by the Italian state to the Catholic Church in Italy. "There is no investigation for the moment. We have addressed the Italian authorities and asked them for information about this," the commission's spokesman for competition told journalists on Tuesday (28 August). He added that the EU executive is looking into "certain tax concessions" enjoyed by the Italian church, such as an exemption from communal tax, real estate tax or company tax. A similar query has been launched into the activities and tax provisions for the catholic church in Spain and Belgium, the spokesman added.

Concern over 'Public Benefit' Test of Christian Charities.

August 27th 2007 – United Kingdom

By Maria Mackay. Christians lawyers are urging Christian organisations to express their concern over a number of ongoing Government consultations questioning the 'public benefit' of Christian charities. The Lawyers' Christian Fellowship (LCF) and its partner group Christian Concern for Our Nation (CCFON) have voiced concern over the implications of ongoing Government consultations which call into question the 'public benefit' of Christian charities. Under the Charities Act 2006, it can no longer be presumed that the services of charities working to advance religion have a public benefit. Instead, the Government is proposing that every charity prove its public benefit on a yearly basis. Groups failing to satisfy Government officials of their public benefit could lose their entitlement to Registered Charity status as well a number of financial benefits such as recovering tax on donations through Gift Aid.

Court takes nursing child from mother because of alleged religious affiliation.

August 27th 2007 – Serbia & Montenegro

A Serbian court in the municipality of Velika Plana has awarded custody of an 8- month- old baby girl to her father because the baby's mother was believed to be a member of the Jehovah's Witnesses. The mother, who says she is not a member of the religious group, is now taking legal action against the judge responsible for the custody ruling. Observers say the case reveals disturbing details about Serbia's judicial procedures as well as its attitudes toward religious minorities. The judge made his ruling in the course of divorce proceedings, and awarded primary custody rights to the father despite the fact that the baby was still breastfeeding.

Norwegian Christians and Muslims adopt declaration on right to covert between religions.

August 22nd 2007 – Norway

Two important Christian and Muslim groups signed a joint declaration Wednesday supporting the right to convert between religions without fear of harassment as a basic religious freedom. The Church of Norway Council on Ecumenical and International Relation and the Islamic Council of Norway, which have met regularly since 1993, said they believe this is the world's first such joint declaration by national religious organizations. "We reject and want to work against violence, discrimination and harassment due to a person wanting to convert or having converted from one religion to another," said the declaration, signed by Tveit and Shoaib M. Sutlan, secretary general of the Islamic Council. Sultan said conversion between Islam and Christianity was uncommon in Norway, "but it is still important to establish this important principle."

Conference of Religious Leaders with Presidents of the European Parliament, the European Council and the European Commission discuss human dignity.

May 15th 2007 – Belgium

Leading representatives of the three monotheistic religions met on 15 May 2007 in the Berlaymont building on the initiative of European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. Together with German Chancellor and European Council President Angela Merkel and European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering, President Barroso co-hosted the discussions, which were attended by 20 leading representatives of the Christian, Jewish and Islamic faiths in Europe. He had hosted similar meetings in 2005 and 2006, but this is the first time such a gathering had taken place under the auspices of Commission, European Parliament and Council Presidencies. The topic chosen for this year's discussion was "Building a Europe based on human dignity". European Parliament President Hans-Gert Pöttering said: *"Tolerance, one of the European Union's core values, is the basis for a dialogue between cultures that has as its goals cooperation, partnership and mutual respect between cultures and religions. Mutual respect based on human dignity is a shared European value. The different religious traditions in Europe can all make a positive contribution to the public debate and the shaping of a European Union of values. This is why we need to have an ongoing dialogue between the European Union's institutions and the churches and religious communities."