Source: www.forum18.org
Date: November 29, 2024
https://www.forum18.org/archiv
By Mushfig Bayram, Forum 18
Bukhara's registered Baptist Union Church has not been able to meet
publicly for worship since May 2021. After a broken water pipe caused
damage, the authorities sealed the Church building. Baptists told Forum 18
that they want to rebuild the Church building, but were told that they
cannot do this as the regime's Cultural Heritage Agency will allow repair
work to be done only by a specialised state company. A neighbour's house
collapsed at the same time, but local authorities allowed them to rebuild
their own house.
Bukhara City Administration "keeps promising us that they will hand over
the building to us and asked us that we sign a paper we have received
500,000 Sums [about a week's average wages] for the repair work", Baptists
told Forum 18. "We are not so naive, and did not sign any papers." Baptists
added that they think that the "local officials may have expropriated the
funds and are trying to cover it up". Corruption has long been endemic in
the country, including in relation to freedom of religion or belief
violations (see below).
The Head of the City Administration, Kurbon Tursunov, claimed to Forum 18
that "we cannot give the building to the Church without the permission of
the central government in Tashkent as the Church is not a state entity but
a private entity." He appeared evasive when Forum 18 asked whether the
central government had been asked for permission, dropping his voice and
mumbling: "Yes we have, but maybe they have not had time to look at our
request." He then claimed that the central government will answer within a
week. Officials in the Office of the Prime Minister in Tashkent did not
answer their phones whenever Forum 18 called (see below).
Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov on 24 June ordered the seizure and possible
demolition of more than 400 unregistered mosques and houses, built by
residents but not registered with the Justice Ministry. In mid-July 2024, a
State Security Service (SSS) secret police officer and an official of the
local Administration's Religious Affairs Department came to Abu Zar Mosque
in Yangiyul District of Tashkent Region. They said that as the Mosque is
not functioning, it will be handed over for business use. A local Muslim
linked the move to the Prime Minister's reported 24 June order (see below).
Abu Zar Mosque, built with state permission, functioned from the 1990s. The
regime closed the mosque in 2007 and it has not functioned since then,
despite campaigns by local Muslims to reopen it. When Forum 18 on 25 April
pointed out to Jakhongir Azomkhanov, Tashkent Regional Administration's
official overseeing freedom of religion or belief issues, that the Abu Zar
Mosque was built by the mosque community who would like to pray every day
in their own mosque, and that travel to other mosques can be difficult,
Azomkhanov did not address those points. On 21 November he refused to speak
to Forum 18 about the continued forced closure of Abu Zar Mosque (see
below).
Gazalkent's local Baptist Church, part of the state-registered nationwide
Baptist Union, has repeatedly tried to register with the regime. However,
Bostanlyk District authorities in Tashkent Region continue to refuse
registration applications. "The Church can hold meetings in the building
without any interference from the authorities," Baptists told Forum 18.
"But we would like to gain legal status so that we are not in a situation
when at any time the Church could be prosecuted for the 'illegal' exercise
of freedom of religion or belief." Jakhongir Azomkhanov, Tashkent Regional
Administration's official overseeing freedom of religion or belief issues,
claimed not to be able to hear Forum 18 when it called him, although the
line was clear. He then switched his phone to a fax machine. Bostanlyk
District Administration officials did not answer their phones whenever
Forum 18 called (see below).
In June 2024, Baptists in Gulistan asked Syrdarya Region Architecture and
Justice Departments to register a new building the congregation had built
on land they own. Although the congregation has met for worship in the new
building, they want registration as "it is safer under the law to have
meetings in a registered building." However, the Regional Justice and
Architecture Departments refused the application. The excuse given was that
the Land Cadastre Department refused to recognise the sale of the land to
the Baptists when the original landowner tried to register the sale. The
mainly unoccupied building has now been damaged by vandalism, including
broken windows. Repairing the damage is likely to be expensive for the
congregation (see below).
Sherzod Rasulov, who is responsible for the registration of religious
organisations in Syrdarya Regional Justice Department, claimed to Forum 18:
"We do not have a problem to register them, but the Regional Administration
and Architecture Department have not given them permission." He then
refused to discuss the issue more with Forum 18. Land Cadastre Department
officials did not answer their phones whenever Forum 18 called. Irkin
Muminov, Deputy Head of Syrdarya Regional Administration, refused to tell
Forum 18 why his Administration refuses to register the Baptists' new
church building. "I do not know you and we have been told not to give any
information over the phone," he claimed (see below).
On 25 April, two buildings under construction belonging to Urgench Council
of Churches Baptists were ordered to be destroyed and were partially
demolished. The demolition was halted after protests, but they are not
being permitted to repair the damage or complete the construction of the
buildings, local Baptists told Forum 18. Khorezm Regional Administration
officials, and Zafarbek Khojaniyazov of the Land Cadastre Department (who
is responsible for dealing with complaints) all did not answer whenever
Forum 18 contacted them. So Forum 18 was unable to ask why they are
refusing to give permission for the Baptists to repair the damage the
regime has caused and complete the construction work (see below).
Jehovah's Witnesses have made multiple attempts over many years to gain
registration for their communities in Uzbekistan outside the town of
Chirchik, the only place where they have a registered community. This
problem exists throughout Uzbekistan, with regime officials frequently
using property-based excuses to block registration applications from a
variety of Muslim and non-Muslim religious communities. Such refusals cause
many problems for religious communities seeking to exercise their freedom
of religion or belief. The Religion Law does not allow religious
communities to meet outside their registered address, and such meetings can
face police raids (see below).
Jehovah's Witnesses have many times sought to meet officials to discuss how
to solve the problems caused by the regime's human rights violations. One
such meeting was on 5 July with Dilnoza Muratova, Deputy Director of the
state-controlled National Human Rights Centre. She claimed that Uzbekistan
could not implement human rights obligations "since there are no tools in
Uzbek law". Muratova did not explain why, when her state-controlled Centre
was drafting the Religion Law, it was not drafted in a way that provided
"tools" to implement legally-binding human rights obligations instead of
"tools" to violate them. Forum 18 asked the Centre's Chief Specialist, Amir
Khamidov, to explain this. He refused to answer, claiming: "I need to get
permission from the leadership to answer you" (see below).
The grounds of the only functioning Buddhist temple in Uzbekistan, the
Chaynsa (Compassion) temple in Tashkent, has long been under threat from
the local authorities. In Buddhist belief this is a serious matter, as each
part of a temple grounds has a sacred significance. The expansion of
Tashkent's metro line was initially planned to include the demolition of
the Chaynsa Temple. The Temple was not demolished, but a 12 meter wide
overpass for the metro line was built 5 meters above the Temple grounds and
close to the Temple itself. "Although the noise from the metro line is not
loud, a lot of dust from the line collects in the grounds and on the temple
every day," members of the Buddhist Community told Aleksei Volosevich, the
editor of Asia Terra independent Tashkent news website (see below).
The community wants the existing Temple to be moved to another location and
reconstructed according to Buddhist beliefs. They also wanted any agreement
to be made in writing and signed by the relevant officials, as well as
published immediately. Contrary to their previous agreement, Zangiota
District Administration has not given the Buddhist community a plot of land
for a new temple and no agreement was reached at the July 2022 meeting.
Tashkent Administration officials and Religious Affairs Committee officials
did not answer their phones whenever Forum 18 called between 21 and 27
November. So Forum 18 was unable to ask them why they have not honoured
their promise to the Buddhist community to provide them with another plot
of land for their Temple (see below).
Bukhara Baptist Church still blocked from using its building
The registered Baptist Union Church in the historical part of the
south-western city of Bukhara has not been able to meet publicly for
worship (https://www.forum18.org/archi
2021. After a broken water pipe caused damage because the authorities
sealed the Church building, which dates from 1971. Baptists told Forum 18
that they wanted to rebuild the Church building, but were told that they
cannot do this as the regime's Cultural Heritage Agency will allow repair
work to be done only by a specialised state company. A neighbour's house
collapsed at the same time, but local authorities allowed them to rebuild
their own house (https://www.forum18.org/archi
"We asked the authorities to allow us to repair the new building, since
they are not doing anything with it now, or allow us to construct a new
building in the place of our sealed building," Baptists told Forum 18
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
both our proposals."
Sukhrob Ochilov, Head of the Heritage Department's Bukhara regional
division, wrote to the Church's pastor in July 2024, claiming the
Department was not competent
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
building from the heritage register to allow it to be rebuilt. Ochilov
declined to talk to Forum 18.
Officials in 2024 appear to have changed their attitude to church members.
"Last year [2023] at least they were listening to us and promising that
they will help us. Now some officials tell us directly to our face: Leave
my office and get lost!" local Baptists told Forum 18
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
identify these officials, for fear of state reprisals
Since May 2021 the Church has been meeting privately in members' homes and
renting public buildings, Bukhara Baptists told Forum 18 on 19 November.
Bukhara City Administration was allocated funds by the government to repair
a building offered to the Baptists
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
the repairs, Baptists told Forum 18.
Bukhara City Administration "keeps promising us that they will hand over
the building to us and asked us that we sign a paper we have received
500,000 Sums [about a week's average wages] for the repair work," Baptists
told Forum 18. "We are not so naive, and did not sign any papers." Baptists
added that they think that the "local officials may have expropriated the
funds and are trying to cover it up."
Corruption has long been endemic
(https://www.uzbekforum.org/ca
country, including in relation to freedom of religion or belief violations
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
to discuss corruption as a factor in the human rights violations they
experience, yet there appears to be a strong connection between human
rights violations and corruption
(https://www.equalrightstrust.
Nozim Nurov, Deputy Head of Bukhara City Administration, claimed to Forum
18 on 19 November that "We cannot resume work on the building since there
are some legal issues our administration's lawyers are working on." He then
declined to talk further.
The Head of the City Administration, Kurbon Tursunov who was appointed on 1
May, claimed to Forum 18 on 19 November that "we cannot give the building
to the Church without the permission of the central government in Tashkent
as the Church is not a state entity but a private entity." He appeared to
be evasive when Forum 18 asked whether the central government had been
asked for permission, dropping his voice and mumbling: "Yes we have, but
maybe they have not had time to look at our request." He then claimed that
the central government will answer within a week.
Officials in the Office of Prime Minister in Tashkent did not answer their
phones whenever Forum 18 called between 21 and 27 November.
Tashkent Region's Abu Zar Mosque still closed
Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov on 24 June ordered the seizure and possible
demolition (https://www.forum18.org/archi
than 400 unregistered mosques and houses, built by residents but not
registered with the Justice Ministry. Prime Minister Aripov has long been
hostile – like the regime – to Muslims exercising their freedom of
religion or belief outside state control
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
he is reported to have warned state officials not to attend mosques
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Officials in the Office of Prime Minister did not answer their phones
whenever Forum 18 called between 21 and 27 November. Religious Affairs
Committee (https://www.forum18.org/archi
including Chief Specialist Begzod Kadyrov, also did not answer their phones
whenever Forum 18 called between 21 and 27 November. So Forum 18 was unable
to ask them why the regime has ordered the demolition of unregistered
mosques.
In mid-July 2024, a State Security Service
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
officer and an official of the local Administration's Religious Affairs
Department came to Abu Zar Mosque in Yangiyul District of Tashkent Region.
They said that as the Mosque is not functioning, it will be handed over for
business use (https://www.forum18.org/archi
Muslim linked the move to the Prime Minister's reported 24 June order that
unregistered Mosques should be demolished or handed over for business use.
"They just came, brazenly told us this and said that no one from the
mahalla [local district] should get angry about it," a local Muslim who
asked not to be identified for fear of state reprisals told Forum 18
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Abu Zar Mosque, built with state permission, functioned from the 1990s. The
regime closed the mosque in 2007
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
functioned since then, despite campaigns by local Muslims to reopen it.
"Mahalla residents have actively tried to register it since 2017, going to
all state agencies," the Muslim said. "Finally, in 2022 officials promised
us that it would soon be re-opened. A full-scale renovation then took
place. Now they are acting like this – I don't even know what to call
it."
The regime has a long-standing policy of blocking state registration
attempts (https://www.forum18.org/archi
Sunni Muslim, Protestant, Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, and other religious
communities, making it impossible for them to meet legally. Often the
excuses used are property-related, with officials taking full advantage of
the opportunities provided to them by the Religion Law for arbitrary and
inconsistent actions. This has continued in 2024
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Jakhongir Azomkhanov, Tashkent Regional Administration's official
overseeing freedom of religion or belief issues, defended the regime's
blocking of the Abu Zar Mosque community's registration attempts. "There
are very large mosques in the areas where Muslims can pray, and they can
attend those," he claimed to Forum 18 on 25 April
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
have convenient parking places for private cars. Why don't they just attend
those Mosques?"
When Forum 18 pointed out that the Abu Zar Mosque was built by the mosque
community who would like to pray every day in their own mosque, and that
travel to other mosques can be difficult, Azomkhanov did not address those
points (https://www.forum18.org/archi
November he refused to speak to Forum 18 about the continued forced closure
of the Abu Zar Mosque.
Gazalkent Baptist Church repeatedly denied state registration
The local Baptist Church in Gazalkent in Bostanlyk District of Tashkent
Region, which is part of the state-registered nationwide Baptist Union, has
repeatedly tried to re-register with the regime after the 1999 Religion Law
imposed compulsory re-registration on religious communities. The 2021
Religion Law (https://www.forum18.org/archi
continues to impose a burdensome and arbitrary registration procedure,
which violates the regime's legally-binding international human rights
obligations.
However, Bostanlyk District authorities continue to refuse registration
applications, Baptists who wish to remain anonymous for fear of state
reprisals told Forum 18 on 19 November 2024. "The Church can hold meetings
in the building without any interference from the authorities," Baptists
told Forum 18. "But we would like to gain legal status so that we are not
in a situation when at any time the Church could be prosecuted
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
exercise of freedom of religion or belief."
Bostanlyk District Administration first refused a registration application
in May 2000, alleging that registering a non-Baptist Protestant church in
the District had caused riots. The Baptists had not heard of these alleged
riots in their District, and the regime did not substantiate these claims
with evidence. "The District Administration then told Gazalkent Baptists to
attend the Russian Orthodox Church instead."
Jakhongir Azomkhanov, Tashkent Regional Administration's official
overseeing freedom of religion or belief issues, claimed on 21 November not
to be able to hear Forum 18 when it called him, although the line was
clear. He then switched his phone to a fax machine.
Bostanlyk District Administration officials did not answer their phones
whenever Forum 18 called between 21 and 27 November.
Religious Affairs Committee
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Chief Specialist Begzod Kadyrov, also did not answer their phones whenever
Forum 18 called between 21 and 27 November. So Forum 18 was unable to ask
them why the regime continues to, against its legally-binding international
human rights obligations, obstruct state registration attempts and ban the
unregistered exercise of freedom of religion or belief.
Gulistan Baptist Church repeatedly denied state registration
Regime officials in Syrdarya Region south-west of Tashkent refused in 2019
to register (https://www.forum18.org/archi
Baptist Union congregation in Gulistan, local Baptists who wished to remain
anonymous for fear of state reprisals have told Forum 18. The congregation
eventually gained state registration, but "the registered address where we
meet for worship is very small place, a 15 square meter room in a private
house which does not have space for all our members," local Baptists
explained to Forum 18.
In June 2024 the Baptists asked Syrdarya Region Architecture and Justice
Departments to register a new building the congregation had built on land
they own. Although the congregation has met for worship in the new
building, they want registration as "it is safer under the law to have
meetings in a registered building".
However, the Regional Justice and Architecture Departments refused the
application. The excuse given was that the Land Cadastre (Registry)
Department refused to recognise the sale of the land to the Baptists when
the original landowner tried to register the sale. In 2019 the absence of a
document from the Land Cadastre (Registry) Department was one of the
excuses used to refuse a registration application
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
The mainly unoccupied building has now been damaged by vandalism, including
broken windows. Repairing the damage is likely to be expensive for the
congregation.
Sherzod Rasulov, who is responsible for the registration of religious
organisations in Syrdarya Regional Justice Department, claimed to Forum 18
on 20 November 2024: "We do not have a problem to register them, but the
Regional Administration and Architecture Department have not given them
permission." He then refused to discuss the issue more with Forum 18.
Land Cadastre (Registry) Department officials did not answer their phones
whenever Forum 18 called between 21 and 27 November.
Irkin Muminov, Deputy Head of Syrdarya Regional Administration, refused to
say why his Administration refuses to register the Baptists' new church
building. "I do not know you and we have been told not to give any
information over the phone," he claimed to Forum 18 on 20 November.
Religious Affairs Committee
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Chief Specialist Begzod Kadyrov, also did not answer their phones whenever
Forum 18 called between 21 and 27 November.
Urgench Baptist Church demolition stopped, church still not allowed to
build
On 25 April, Judge Nurlubay Akimniyazov ordered the destruction of two
buildings under construction belonging to Urgench Council of Churches
Baptists. The decision, which against Uzbek law the Baptists had not seen,
entered into force on 27 May. Demolition began on 30 July
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
was intended to be a church.
The Judge, regime officials, and state-appointed Muslim clerics involved in
the destruction have either refused to explain the demolition order or
given contradictory explanations, and officials have stated they are
"determined to complete the demolition sooner or later".
Council of Churches Baptists do not seek state permission to exercise
freedom of religion or belief, and normally meet for worship in homes owned
by church members. Under Uzbekistan's legally-binding international human
rights obligations, the Baptists have the right to exercise their freedom
of religion or belief in these ways, as the OSCE / Council of Europe Venice
Commission Guidelines on the Legal Personality of Religious or Belief
Communities (https://www.osce.org/files/f/
The demolition stopped after the Baptists complained. However, officials do
not allow them to repair the damage or complete the construction of the
buildings. "We are waiting for the regional authorities to give us
permission to go ahead with the construction," local Baptists told Forum 18
on 21 November.
Khorezm Regional Administration officials, Zafarbek Khojaniyazov of the
Land Cadastre Department (who is responsible for dealing with complaints
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
whenever Forum 18 contacted them between 21 and 25 November. So Forum 18
was not able to ask them why they are refusing to give permission for the
Baptists to repair the damage the regime has caused and complete the
construction work.
Religious Affairs Committee
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Chief Specialist Begzod Kadyrov, also did not answer their phones whenever
Forum 18 called between 21 and 27 November.
Jehovah's Witness registration attempts still blocked
Jehovah's Witnesses have made multiple attempts over many years to gain
registration for their communities in Uzbekistan outside the town of
Chirchik, the only place where they have a registered community. "Each time
the communities faced insurmountable obstacles from state authorities,"
Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18 in June 2023
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
This problem exists throughout Uzbekistan, with regime officials very
frequently using property-based excuses to block registration applications
from a variety of Muslim and non-Muslim religious communities. "The
Religion Law gives the authorities unlimited powers to refuse our
registration, to our regret," Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18 in April
2024 (https://www.forum18.org/archi
Religious Affairs Committee
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
Chief Specialist Begzod Kadyrov, also did not answer their phones whenever
Forum 18 called between 21 and 27 November. So Forum 18 was unable to ask
them why the regime continues to, against its legally-binding international
human rights obligations, obstruct state registration attempts and ban the
unregistered exercise of freedom of religion or belief.
Such refusals cause many problems for religious communities seeking to
exercise their freedom of religion or belief. For example, the Religion Law
does not allow religious communities to meet outside their registered
address (https://www.forum18.org/archi
meetings can face police raids.
In March 2024, Navoi Police raided the local Jehovah's Witnesses'
commemoration of the Memorial of Jesus' Death – the most important annual
event for Jehovah's Witnesses. Five police officers between 07.00 am and
09.30 "pounded on the door and windows of the flat".
The head of Navoi Police "Struggle with Extremism and Terrorism Department"
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
refused to explain to Forum 18 on 26 November why his officers raided the
meeting, claiming that he could not hear well.
The Jehovah's Witness community in the capital Tashkent has long tried to
gain state registration – so far in vain. During the latest registration
attempt in 2024, Tashkent City Administration refused an application
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
designated as the Tashkent community's legal address. Such an address is
necessary for a state registration application.
The regime claimed that urban planning construction regulations prevented
the building from being the community's legal address, and that "a number
of [unspecified] neighbours of the Jehovah's Witnesses in their mahalla
[local district] had in the [unspecified] past made [unspecified]
complaints against the community."
On 6 February, Judge Olimjan Shamsiyev of Tashkent Inter-District
Administrative Court rejected the Jehovah's Witnesses complaint against the
decision. He claimed that as local authorities have "discretionary powers"
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
to use a building as their legal address, "the contested decision cannot be
considered illegal". Shamsiyev also defended the use of alleged
"complaints" by unspecified "neighbours" as a reason for Tashkent
Administration to reject the Jehovah's Witness application. He refused on
23 April to discuss his claims with Forum 18, or to explain what religious
communities could do (https://www.forum18.org/archi
when faced with arbitrary regime decisions.
Jehovah's Witnesses have many times sought to meet officials to discuss how
to solve the problems caused by the regime's human rights violations. One
such meeting was on 5 July with Dilnoza Muratova, Deputy Director of the
state-controlled National Human Rights Centre.
Muratova claimed that Uzbekistan could not implement United Nations Human
Rights Committee Concluding Observations (such as those from May 2020
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
tools in Uzbek law".
Uzbekistan ratified both the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights
(https://www.ohchr.org/en/inst
(ICCPR) and its Optional Protocol (OP1) (under which individual complaints
are made
(https://www.ohchr.org/sites/d
1995. By voluntarily doing this, Uzbekistan took on both the binding
international human rights law obligations of the ICCPR, and the obligation
to correct any violations of its obligations
(https://www.ohchr.org/en/inst
– such as violations found by the UN Human Rights Committee.
Muratova did not explain why, when her state-controlled Centre was drafting
the Religion Law (https://www.forum18.org/archi
was not drafted in a way that provided "tools" to implement human rights
obligations instead of "tools" to violate them
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
On 26 November 2024, Forum 18 asked the Centre's Chief Specialist, Amir
Khamidov, to explain this. He refused to answer. "I need to get permission
from the leadership to answer you," he claimed. He could not specify when
he might get permission and then refused to talk more to Forum 18.
Will Tashkent officials honour their promise to the Buddhist community?
The grounds of the only functioning Buddhist temple in Uzbekistan, the
Chaynsa (Compassion) temple in Tashkent, has long been under threat from
the local authorities. In 2018, Zangiota District Administration wanted to
seize most of the temple grounds to expand a road. In Buddhist belief this
is a serious matter, as each part of a temple grounds has a sacred
significance. A compromise was eventually reached, Cabar new agency
reported on 30 January 2019, under which a plot of land of equivalent size
will be given to the Buddhist community to build a new temple.
However, the expansion of Tashkent's metro line was initially planned to
include the demolition of the Chaynsa Temple. The Temple was not
demolished, but a 12 meter wide overpass for the metro line was built 5
meters above the Temple grounds and close to the Temple itself. "Although
the noise from the metro line is not loud, a lot of dust from the line
collects in the grounds and on the temple every day," members of the
Buddhist Community told Aleksei Volosevich, the editor of Asia Terra
independent Tashkent news website, in November 2024.
Aleksandr Kheqay of the Buddhist community on 13 July 2022 met a Religious
Affairs Committee (https://www.forum18.org/archi
official and Almardon Karshiyev, head of Tashkent City Administration's
section responsible for work with religious organisations, to discuss the
relocation of the Temple.
The community wanted the existing Temple to be not demolished, but moved to
another location and reconstructed according to Buddhist beliefs. They also
wanted any agreement to be made in writing and signed by relevant
officials, as well as published immediately. Contrary to their previous
agreement, Zangiota District Administration has not given the Buddhist
community a plot of land for a new temple and no agreement was reached at
the July 2022 meeting.
Tashkent Administration officials did not answer their phones whenever
Forum 18 called between 21 and 27 November 2024. Religious Affairs
Committee (https://www.forum18.org/archi
including Chief Specialist Begzod Kadyrov, also did not answer their phones
whenever Forum 18 called between 21 and 27 November. So Forum 18 was unable
to ask them why they have not honoured their promise to the Buddhist
community to provide them with another plot of land for their Temple. (END)
More reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Uzbekistan
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
For background information, see Forum 18's Uzbekistan religious freedom
survey (https://www.forum18.org/archi
Forum 18's compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
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