Forum 18, 22 October 2019
Police have raided a Baptist church’s Sunday meetings in Urgench and threatened Pastor Stanislav Kim with eviction from his home. The congregation has met since the middle of September without official interference.
The raid targeted the regular Baptist weekly meeting for worship, as has happened many times before to the Urgench congregation.
Two days after the Sunday raid, officials summoned Pastor Kim to a meeting with police officials and the local imam. The officials were unable to explain why an official of one belief was invited to a meeting attacking followers of another belief’s exercise of freedom of religion.
The meeting decided Pastor Kim “must leave our area or arrange his meetings elsewhere”. He and his family should be evicted from their home if the meetings do not stop.