Court annuls 14-year church ownership in Kyrgyzstan

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan — After more than 14 years, a court in Kyrgyzstan has annulled a sales contract of a Culture House bought by the Church of Jesus Christ in the nation’s capital of Bishkek. 

“We are not against the Church or its activity, but the contract was null and void from the beginning and must be annulled,” said Aysulu Orozbekova, who represented the State Property Fund in its suit in court.

Orozbekova refused to say why the Fund opened the issue after so many years or if it was linked to a construction company’s interest in the property. She refused to identify the other religious communities whose property may now be threatened.