Uzbekistan continues to impose enormous fines on people exercising their freedom of religion or belief, Forum 18 News Service has learned. In total, 33 people are known to have each been fined up to 100 times the minimum monthly salary in April and May.
Fines have been imposed by courts throughout the country, and in some cases appeals against fines have resulted in a reduction. An example was a reduction of fines against six Baptists from 50 times to five times the minimum monthly salary. However in most other cases reductions have not been as significant, for example fine reductions from 80 times to 60, 50 or 40 times the minimum monthly salary.
Official hostility continues towards religious literature, in one case literature was ordered to be destroyed after an “expert analysis” from the state Religious Affairs Committee stated that religious books can “only” be used within the confines of the registered religious communities.
“Believers are deprived of their right to hold any Christian literature in their homes,” Baptists complained to Forum 18. No state officials were willing to discuss the cases.
Report from the Christian Telegraph
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