Uzbekistan: Beatings and fines given to Christians for proselytizing

04/16/2011 13:02
UZBEKISTAN
Tashkent, punishes those who lend or gift Bibles to children
Police intimidation and a stern warning to a Baptist Church that gives money to children. A woman who gifts a bible to a friend fined more than 4 years' salary. 3 Islamic clerics who are studying in Arab countries “dismissed”.

Tashkent (AsiaNews/F18) - Beatings and a strong penalty for the Christian Baptist Galina Shemetova from Tashkent who gave a Bible "for children" to a colleague. Meanwhile, the fear of the Jasmine Revolution sees authorities to harass three Muslim clerics.
In the summer of 2010 Shemetova gave the book to a colleague while they were at the Tashkent subway. For this she was denounced for "proselytism", which is considered a serious offense.
Later April 1, the woman on, went to hospital for treatment, saying she had an accident at work. A witness told Forum 18 agency that "the underground police hit the woman on the head and dragged her by the hair to their car". The local police, contacted by F18, denies any aggression, but recognizes that they stopped Shemetova who began to "call for help for no reason". They claimed that the Christian is a missionary and has violated the law. "
F18 found that there will be no investigations and recalls that the UN Committee against Torture denounces that violence and torture are "normal" in the country.
Also on 1 April, the Court of Tashkent ordered the Shemenova to pay a fine of 2,486,750 som, amounting to 1015 euro,  50 times the average monthly wage, saying she had made a clear attempt to proselytize.
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