Churches face crackdown in Uzbekistan

The Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) is asking for prayer for Christians in Uzbekistan.

The request came after SGA received word of yet another government crackdown against evangelical churches.

Formerly part of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia.

According to a news release from SGA, for some time the organisation's contacts in Uzbekistan have expressed concern about increasing government pressure against churches and religious groups.

SGA said Forum 18 News Service is reporting that Baptist pastor Konstantin Malchikovsky has been officially indicted on charges of "not paying in monies from church offerings and book sales."

Konstantin is pastor of the registered Hamza District Baptist Church in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent. The case was filed on July 15, and a local judge began hearing the case on the week of July 27.

SGA said the current case stems from events in the spring, when authorities raided the church. They confiscated money and tens of thousands of Christian books, as well as printing equipment.

At the time, Malchikovsky and three other church members were fined between 50 and 100 times the minimum monthly wage. In the current indictment, the pastor could receive up to two years in jail if convicted.

SGA said this is in line with other troubling events in Uzbekistan, including the 2009 crackdown against the Baptists' Camp Joy for children, followed by the removal of the Baptist Union's leadership and heavy fines. Baptist leaders say in each case, the charges are completely false and have been fabricated by the authorities.

SGA President Bob Provost said in the news release, "We have asked our local Congressman's office to look into this situation, and have also asked Advocates International to investigate as well.

"Thus far, the Uzbek government has ignored appeals and criticism from Western governments and human rights groups, and continued with their crackdown."