DUSHANBE, Tajikistan — In Tajikistan’s latest attack on religious property, the members of Grace Sunmin Protestant Church in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, have been given to the end of April to leave their church building.
Church members strongly dispute the authorities’ claim that they do not own their own church, as well as the “ridiculous amount offered” as compensation. Mosques, churches and the country’s only synagogue have previously been demolished.
The highly restrictive new religion law has now come into force, despite strong protests from local human rights defenders, religious communities and international bodies including the United Nations’ special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Among other restrictions in the law, the number of mosques is restricted, all imams must be appointed by the state, state censorship is imposed on all religious literature and children’s religious activity and education are restricted.
State officials have described protests as “baseless” and those who share the concerns of international organizations as supporting “alien ideas.”
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