TARAZ, Kazakhstan — Two Protestants have been given criminal convictions to punish them for their activity.
Vissa Kim, pastor of Grace Light of Love Church in Taraz in southern Kazakhstan, was fined 10 months’ minimum wages April 1 for allegedly harming a woman’s health by praying for her.
Sergei Mironov was given one year’s restrictions on his free movement after being found guilty of depriving a client of his drug rehabilitation centre of his freedom. The authorities have closed the centre.
Both Kim and Mironov deny any wrongdoing.
A criminal case has been opened against the leader of another Christian-run rehabilitation centre in Almaty.
“Religious communities can do social work but only if they do it in accordance with the Religion Law,” an official told Forum 18 about Mironov’s case. “Now it looks like pastors will get fines for praying for the sick in churches,” a member of Kim’s church said.
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