(Forum 18) – Nail Kalinkin of the embattled Bethany Protestant Church in the capital Tashkent was sentenced to 15 days in prison on 10 June for “illegally” teaching his faith, while his wife Marina was fined 68 US dollars, Protestant sources have told Forum 18 News Service. After the church’s Sunday service was raided by police on 12 June six more – including the pastor Nikolai Shevchenko – face administrative charges of breaking the country’s religion law by leading an unregistered religious community. The church – located in a city district where mosques are also banned – has repeatedly tried but failed to register. Its latest challenge through the courts was again postponed on 17 June. Leaders of another Protestant church in Tashkent have been interrogated and threatened since mid-May, with 18 armed riot police raiding the home of one church leader. In Angren near Tashkent , the leader of a registered Pentecostal church was fined 39 US dollars.
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Khan is a courageous Christian convert who was forced to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover that practically sentenced all Christians to death.
Despite this abrupt action, Khan hid his faith from his family in this extremely dangerous situation. Refugees in Iraq often do not have enough to live on, so ICC provided Khan and his family with necessities in this time. This is just one of many ways that our Afghanistan Crisis Emergency Fund is used to combat the Taliban persecution.
Prayers
Keep strong brother.
