Police question publishing religious materials

DASHOGUZ, Turkmenistan — After Protestant Begjan Shirmedov tried to print copies of a small book of his religious poetry Feb. 3, a local religious affairs official waiting for him at the printing shop took him to the Police 6th Department, responsible for counterterrorism and organized crime work. 

There the 77-year-old poet was questioned for six hours, forced to write a statement and banned from traveling outside his home region of Dashoguz in northern Turkmenistan while his case is investigated, Protestants said. Separately other local Protestants in Dashoguz have been questioned over printing religious materials. It remains unclear if any will face charges. Turkmenistan imposes strict censorship on religious literature.