Uzbek officer denies beating, threatening Christian

JARKURGAN, Uzbekistan — One of the police officers accused of beating local Protestant Shokir Rahmatullayev after a Jan. 3 raid on his home in Jarkurgan in Surkhandarya region has adamantly denied that any violence was used, but refused to discuss the case. Captain Ruzi Nazarov insisted that police did “not beat or threaten” Rahmatullayev.

Police Chief Bahrom Tursunov not only beat and threatened Rahmatullayev with a false murder charge, but threatened that his mother “could become Tursunov’s concubine,” sources said. Tursunov told Rahmatullayev that he, with his Christian activity, is “helping Russians to take over Uzbekistan.” Another officer involved in the beatings told him, “I don’t care about the law or your rights.” Administrative charges have been lodged against Rahmatullayev and two other church members.