UZBEKISTAN: Officials “acted like bandits”
ICC Note:
Despite the fact that four Baptists in Uzbekistan where members of legal churches (and becoming a legal church is a feat in itself) they were detained at the border for over 7 hours, and all their religious material was confiscated.  Officials have opened cases against them citing “Non-declaration or inaccurate declaration of goods transported through the customs border”. This is just one of the numerous and typical ways the government harasses religious minorities and infringes on their rights to religious freedom.
By Mushfig Bayram
05/30/2013 Uzbekistan (Forum18)- Customs officials at Gisht-Kuprik on 11 May stopped four Baptists from officially registered churches, while they were crossing from Kazakhstan into Uzbekistan. Gisht-Kuprik is in Tashkent Region’s Zangiota District. The Baptists were Pastor Fathulla Ibrahimov of Yangiyul Baptist Church, Osiya Khayrullina and Aleksandr Khokhlov, members of Tashkent Baptist Church, and Andrey Shevchenko, leader of Syrdarya Region Baptist Church. Khayrullina and Ibrahimov were detained for seven and half hours until 5 pm, and Khokhlov and Shevchenko were detained for 11 and half hours until 7 pm.
Captain A.S. Zaetov, and Lieutenants S. Sadirov, A.S. Yuldashev and Zh. Momonov confiscated Christian books and materials the Baptists were carrying. These comprised 30 books, including one Bible, two books of Baptist hymns, five copies of the Baptist magazines “Faith and Life” and “Path”, two Baptist Calendars, seven DVDs and CDs, 15 bookmarks, 30 brochures, and two notebooks with personal notes.
The confiscated books and materials were sent for “expert analysis” by the the state Committee for Religious Affairs in Tashkent. Committee officials refused to discuss the cases with Forum 18 on 27 May. So-called “expert analyses” are routinely used as an excuse to confiscate any book the authorities decide to confiscate.
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