AZERBAIJAN - PASTOR ARRESTED ON TRUMPED-UP CHARGES

On 20 June, policemen broke into the house of Pastor Hamid Shabanov in the remote village of Aliabad in the north-western Zakatala region of Azerbaijan. The police entered the house without permission or court order while Hamid was not at home. Within a few minutes, two police officers returned with a pistol which they claimed to have found in the bath-house. Hamid was arrested and charged with being in possession of an illegal weapon. Hamid’s family and congregation are certain that the police planted the gun themselves and that they came with the intention of arresting Hamid. The head of the regional police reportedly told one Christian news agency outright that Hamid was “a criminal”, even though under Azerbaijani law individuals are innocent until found guilty in court.

Hamid is the second pastor in Aliabad who has been arrested on trumped-up charges. Only three months ago, pastor Zaur Balaev was pardoned and released after seven months in prison on false charges of using violence against state representatives (see PFU April 2008). In early May, only a few weeks after his release, Zaur was summoned and threatened with a new prison term. The police officer asked: “Wasn’t one prison term enough for you?” and added: “You may not be afraid, but you’ve forgotten you’ve got a wife, daughter and a son.” Churches in Aliabad have been subjected to repeated raids, confiscation of Christian literature and threats. Christians are deliberately targeted and harassed in order to discourage them from meeting together and sharing their faith.

INDIA - INVESTIGATION INTO CHRISTMAS ATTACKS AGAINST CHRISTIANS IN ORISSA STATE ABOUT TO BEGIN

Investigation into the violent attacks on Christians during the Christmas period last year in Orissa state, India, will start on 14 July. The violence, which lasted for more than a week and was led by Hindu extremists, left a number of Christians dead and at least 730 houses and 95 churches destroyed. The judicial commission decided to extend the deadline for filing affidavits to the end of June in order to allow the Christians more time. Many of the victims are too scared and traumatised to come forward and testify. This is because many have been intimidated and threatened by Hindu extremists in the aftermath of the attacks in order to dissuade them from incriminating their attackers.

IRAN - HOUSE CHURCH LEADER ARRESTED AND THREATENED WITH DEATH

Mohsen Namvar, aged 44, was arrested by eight policemen in his Tehran home on 31 May. The police refused to give any reason for his arrest. They confiscated Mohsen’s personal belongings, including a computer, printer, CDs, books and money. Mohsen’s whereabouts and condition are unknown.
Another Iranian Christian said that Mohsen had anticipated his arrest, telling him in April: “I know that if they decide to kill me as a martyr, you will care for my wife and my children.” Mohsen had previously been detained and tortured with electric shocks for baptising Muslim converts to Christianity. The police told him that if he continued evangelising Muslims and having meetings in his house, they would kill him.

CHINA - CRACK-DOWN ON HOUSE CHURCHES CONTINUES

Over the last few weeks, several Chinese house church leaders have been arrested and house church meetings have been broken up by government officials. On 18 June Zhang Mingxuan, president of the Chinese House Church Alliance, was detained together with his interpreter as he was on his way to meet with a senior EU official in Beijing. Last year, Pastor Zhang had written three open letters to the international community, informing them about the persecution and harassments house church leaders and members face at the hands of government officials and authorities. Since becoming a Christian in 1986, he has been arrested, beaten and imprisoned twelve times. On 1 June, a Sunday service at Taikang County, Henan Province, was disrupted when several Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials broke into the meeting and detained seven of the Christians present. The officials did not give any reason for the arrests. During interrogation, the seven Christians were questioned about who was taking donations to the earthquake disaster area. A woman and her child were released, but the other Christians remain in detention on charges of sending money to the disaster area in the name of a house church. PSB officials claimed that they would only release the Christians if they paid a 1,000 yuan fine (approx. £75). Many Chinese Christians have seen the disastrous earthquake that hit the Sichuan province on 12 May as an opportunity to share the Gospel with others in a practical way. They set about helping others in need, delivering food, water and medicine at their own expense to areas missed by government relief.

UZBEKISTAN - GOVERNMENT PRESSURE ON CHRISTIANS INCREASES STILL MORE

On 9 June, Uzbekistan’s state-run TV showed, for a second time, a film about Christianity entitled “In the clutches of ignorance” (see PFU Jun 2008), which is full of shocking and false allegations against Christians. The film was shown before live coverage of the European 2008 football championship to attract the largest possible audience. Following the first showing in May, a Christian congregation was attacked. In the weeks following the second broadcast, several Uzbek Christians have been arrested and congregations have been harassed by government authorities. In one instance, which happened on Saturday 14 June, eight police officers entered the house of Pastor Zhandos Kuandukov in Nukus under the pretence of doing passport control. When Zhandos asked them for the reason, they started questioning him about church services and other Christian activities. They asked Zhandos and his family to sign documents saying that they would not hold any religious meetings in their house any more. When Zhandos’ family refused, the police officers threatened to search the whole house. Neighbours, who heard the commotion, were told to stay away or they would be sent to jail. They were also told that Zhandos and his family were terrorists. Zhandos and his family were held in their house until the evening. The family, including small babies, were not allowed to eat anything the entire day. At 6 pm some police officers brought a search warrant and they began searching the house, taking books, video cassettes of weddings, a computer and a passport. Zhandos, his sister, his assistant Aimurat and his sister-in-law were taken to prison for more questioning. Aimurat is still being held in prison on charges of terrorism, extremism and fundamentalism.

EGYPT - VIOLENCE AGAINST CHRISTIANS INCREASES

On 31 May, several Egyptian full-time Christian workers were abducted, beaten and tortured by Muslim extremists who tried to make them spit on the symbol of the cross and convert to Islam. No one was arrested for the attack. Christians in Egypt are facing increasing violence at this time, such as kidnappings, beatings and shootings, and many churches and other Christian buildings are damaged or set on fire. It is very rare that the Egyptian police will do anything to protect Christians under attack, or to try to bring their attackers to justice.