Protestant students harassed again in Uzbekistan

NUKUS, Uzbekistan — Following the banning of Protestant activity in northwestern Uzbekistan, a higher educational institute in the regional capital, Nukus, has resumed its harassment of Protestant students. Four female medical students came close to being expelled from their institute in Nukus in January and were removed from their student residence.

However, the rector of the Nukus branch of the Tashkent Paediatric Medical Institute, Oral Ataniyazova, categorically denied that the four students were to be expelled, telling Forum 18 news service, “The only thing we are concerned about is the students’ knowledge, certainly not their religious beliefs.”

Students have long faced official hostility from university authorities due to their religious beliefs, at times at the behest of the National Security Service secret police. The only Christian activity permitted in the region is at the Russian Orthodox parish in Nukus.