Forum 18, 11 December 2019
An Uzbek Religious Affairs Committee member has claimed that “there is no persecution for religious beliefs in Uzbekistan, but only cases of violation of the Religion Law.”
Officer Sergei of the SSS secret police has told religious leaders that they “must inform the authorities about all missionaries and their activity in writing, and help the authorities prevent violations of religious freedoms.”
One official claimed that the “reason you Protestants have difficulty gaining registration is the Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is because the local authorities cannot distinguish between Christians and Jehovah’s Witnesses.”
Protestants expressed their concerns about this. “There are no legal grounds for the regime to demand that some religious communities collaborate with them against other communities. We do not understand why officials demand Christian organisations launch a witch-hunt against Jehovah’s Witnesses.”