Uzbekistan : Drugs planted and worshippers beaten up?
By Mushfig Bayram
2/9/2010 Uzbekistan (Forum 18) – Uzbekistan continues to punish people for unregistered religious worship, Forum 18 News Service notes. Tohar Haydarov, a Baptist, has been arrested and faces criminal charges of producing or storing drugs, which is punishable by up to five years in prison. Haydarov’s fellow believers insist to Forum 18 that the case has been fabricated, one stating that “police planted a matchbox with drugs.” They also state that Haydarov “was beaten and forced by the police to sign different papers. His face looked exhausted and swollen, and he could hardly walk. He did not even remember what was written in those papers.” The authorities claim these are “lies”. In another case police raided a peaceful meeting of local Baptists, who sustained injuries during detention which have been verified by a medical examination. Told that Forum 18 had seen the medical record, a police officer appeared at a loss for words. “I don’t know what to say, the police were there only to assist other state agencies with the detentions,” he said. In both cases the authorities are also thought to be preparing criminal cases against some of the Baptists.
