22 January 2021
Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18
After repeatedly defending Muslims freedom of religion and belief, including demonstrating outside President Shavkat Mirziyoyev s residence, Tulkun Astanov has been jailed for five years. A state report accused him of following sources of biased news such as Radio Free Europe , and publishing unsubstantiated and exaggerated information. Prisoner of conscience Astanov is being banned in jail from reading the Koran and praying the namaz.
After repeatedly defending the freedom of religion and belief of Muslims, including demonstrating outside President Shavkat Mirziyoyev s residence in the capital Tashkent, a city court has jailed 49-year-old Tulkun Astanov for five years. Tashkent City Criminal Court rejected his appeal on 5 January.
23 December 2020
Felix Corley, Forum 18
The Samarkand police Struggle with Extremism and Terrorism Department has opened a case against Shia Muslim Rashid Ibrahimov, twice questioning him without a written summons. Officers sent material from his phone, including texts of sermons, to the Religious Affairs Committee for expert analysis . Depending on that, they may bring administrative or criminal charges against him, a source told Forum 18. Officials are hostile to Shia Islam. Human rights defender Doctor Alimardon Sultonov is challenging his 14-month restricted freedom sentence.
On 18 December, police from the Struggle with Extremism and Terrorism Department in the central city of Samarkand opened a case against Shia Muslim Rashid Ibrahimov, the regional police Struggle with Extremism and Terrorism Department head Ulugbek Gainazarov confirmed to Forum 18. He refused to discuss details of the case. The case was opened the same day that Traffic Police stopped Ibrahimov as
15 December 2020
Felix Corley, Forum 18
Shia Muslim, Jehovah s Witness, and Protestant religious communities have all had recent applications to exist refused. In many cases the excuse used has been refusals by local authorities to provide documents as part of the complex, time-consuming and expensive application process. In some cases registration applications have led to reprisals, such as police demands that Protestant Christians renounce their faith.
Many religious communities would like to obtain state permission to exist, but are being blocked from registering, members of communities, who wish to remain anonymous for fear of state reprisals, have told Forum 18. Other communities have not applied, thinking that the authorities will not register them or that they will face police questioning or other reprisals.