Source: http://forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2199
Timestamp: 2018-11-14 01:36:02
Document Index: 634615421

Matched Legal Cases: ['in fine', 'art 3', 'art 1', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 1', 'art 3', 'art 1', 'art 3', 'art 7', 'art 7', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 1', 'art 3', 'art 9', 'art 1', 'art 1', 'art 10', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 3']

Forum 18: KAZAKHSTAN: How many punished for exercising freedom? - 15 July 2016
Contrary to claims by Kazakhstan's Delegation to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee in late June that just eight individuals had been so far in 2016 punished for violating the Religion Law, the true number is higher, Forum 18 notes. More than 20 individuals are known to have been punished for exercising the right to freedom of religion and belief without state permission. Most of the Muslims, Protestants and Jehovah's Witnesses were punished for offering religious literature the state has not approved in places the state has not permitted, talking about their beliefs with other people without state permission, or meeting for worship without state permission. Also, three shop owners have been fined for having religious literature in their shops without state permission, and banned from commercial activity for three months (see list at base of this article).
At least one person, Baptist Roman Dimmel, was given a short-term jail term for refusing to pay earlier fines for such "offences" (see F18News 11 May 2016 http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2176). There are also increasing numbers of Muslim and Christian prisoners of conscience given long jail terms for exercising freedom of religion and belief. In addition to being jailed, these prisoners of conscience also have bank accounts blocked by the government without being informed of this, without additional legal process, and are also required to pay for "expert analyses" used to convict them (see F18News 10 June 2016 http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2187).
Twelve Kazakh human rights defender organisations have strongly criticised the government's record to the Human Rights Committee, including the ban on exercising freedom of religion and belief without state permission. They noted that the government directly violates its UN human rights obligations (see F18News 8 June 2016 http://forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2186).
Nearly 50 Jehovah's Witnesses from Kazakhstan have joined complaints to the Human Rights Committee against fines (and deportation for foreigners) imposed for sharing their faith with others (see F18News 13 May 2016 http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2177).
In a new move, police have without a court hearing started to fine people for exercising their freedom of religion and belief. Three Council of Churches Baptists have been fined by police without trial so far in 2016. Prosecutors later annulled one of the fines. Police have had the right to summarily impose certain fines for exercise freedom of religion and belief without state permission since January 2015. But Baptists and human rights defenders state that such summary police fines were not used before now (see F18News 18 July 2016 http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2200).
The Kazakh Delegation to the Human Rights Committee – which was led by Deputy Justice Minister Elvira Azimova – admitted that "a 100 or so" individuals were in 2013 punished under the Code of Administrative Offences for violating the Religion Law, according to the 23 June 2016 French-language UN press report on the session (see http://www.ohchr.org/FR/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=20166&LangID=F).
But the Delegation understated the number of individuals punished in 2013, the peak year so far for such punishments. Forum 18 has documented 153 such punishments on 126 named individuals between January and early November 2013. Other individuals also appear to have been punished (see F18News 11 November 2013 http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=1895).
Under a 9 February Culture and Sport Ministry Decree, each Regional Religious Affairs Department must provide detailed information and statistics of prosecutions for exercising the right to freedom of religion or belief in their Region to the Religious Affairs Committee in Astana four times a year.
Zukhra Galiyeva, an aide to Justice Minister Azimova, told Forum 18 from Astana on 14 July that the Minister was not available. Asked whether the government Delegation had not been informed of the true numbers of those punished for exercising the right to freedom of religion or belief or had deliberately given the UN Committee lower figures, Galiyeva responded of Minister Azimova: "She didn't give false information."
Continuing punishments for exercising the right to freedom of religion or belief come as officials draft further amendments to the Religion Law and Criminal and Administrative Codes. These amendments seem set to impose even more restrictions on the right to freedom of religion or belief, with possible wider or increased punishments in the two Codes (see F18News 14 June 2016 http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2188).
East Kazakhstan Regional Internal Policy Department drew up a record of an offence against Tursynov, Shomatayev and Tumeshbayev under Administrative Code Article 490, Part 3. This punishes: "Carrying out missionary activity without state registration (or re-registration), as well as the use by missionaries of religious literature, information materials with religious content or religious items without a positive assessment from a religious studies expert analysis, and spreading the teachings of a religious group which is not registered in Kazakhstan". The punishment is a fine of 100 MFIs, with deportation if the individual is a foreign citizen (see F18News 21 July 2014 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1979).
The three men "do not consider their actions missionary activity", the court verdict cites them as telling the hearing, "as inviting people to the mosque is the obligation (farz) of every Muslim".
Kazakhstan requires that only people with state permission may share their beliefs and imposes severe restrictions on who may talk about their beliefs, where they may talk about them, and what materials they may use (see Forum 18's Kazakhstan religious freedom survey http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=1939).
Kazakhstan imposes state censorship on all religious literature and objects, for example banning all Muslim literature that is not Sunni Hanafi, and imposes strict limitations on who may sell or distribute such material and where this may happen. Some bookshops which might be able to get state permission for this have decided not to apply for permission for fear of problems from the authorities (see Forum 18's Kazakhstan religious freedom survey http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=1939).
On 29 February, officials decided to halt a criminal investigation against Seidaliyev, according to the subsequent court verdict in the case. On 17 March Bulat Omarov of North Kazakhstan Region Religious Affairs Department drew up a record of an offence under Administrative Code Article 490, Part 1, Point 3. This punishes: "Violating the requirements of the Religion Law for .. import, production, publication and/or distribution of religious literature and other religious materials, and items for religious use". The punishment for individuals is a fine of 50 MFIs (see F18News 21 July 2014 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1979).
The court verdict does not say whether officials confiscated any religious books in the 4 January raid and, if so, whether they were to be returned to Seidaliyev, handed to someone else or ordered destroyed. Courts frequently order religious books to be destroyed (see eg. F18News 11 May 2016 http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2176).
"It's not correct to ask who suffered"
Duman Espenbetov, who represented the regional Religious Affairs Department, refused to discuss the court verdict. "Our law says no one has the right to comment on court verdicts," he claimed to Forum 18 from Petropavl on 12 July. He refused to say if officials confiscated any religious books from Seidaliyev.
Asked who had suffered because Seidaliyev had had religious books in his shop, Espenbetov responded: "It's not correct to ask who suffered. He broke the law." Asked why books related to religion are under government censorship, he denied that censorship is imposed. Asked whether Seidaliyev would have been fined had the books been about football he refused to respond and put the phone down.
Against international human rights law, Kazakhstan bans all exercise of freedom of religion and belief by more than one person without state permission (see Forum 18's Kazakhstan religious freedom survey http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=1939).
"The churches are under close surveillance and can't function as they would wish," fellow Protestants told Forum 18. All religious communities are thought to be under surveillance by the ordinary police and National Security Committee (KNB) secret police (see Forum 18's Kazakhstan religious freedom survey http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=1939).
At separate hearings on the evening of 8 April, Judge Altai Utemisov of Maktaaral District Court found Kaliyev and Ualikhanov guilty of violating Administrative Code Article 490, Part 3 ("Carrying out missionary activity without state registration"). The Judge imposed the prescribed fine of 100 MFIs, 212,100 Tenge, according to the court verdicts seen by Forum 18. Neither appealed against the fines and the decisions came into force on 19 April.
"They were talking to people about their faith"
Abuov of the regional Religious Affairs Department defended the prosecution of the two men. "They were talking to people about their faith and coming to people's homes," he told Forum 18 from the regional capital Shymkent on 12 July. Asked why talking to others of their faith should lead to punishment, Abuov laughed. "They broke the law."
Abuov said Kaliyev and Ualikhanov had approached two people walking on the street. When they invited them to pray at the mosque, one of them called the police. "In Kazakhstan no-one can approach another person and tell them to come to a place of worship, except an imam or clergyman," Abuov insisted to Forum 18. "They are not officials of a religious organisation approved as missionaries. People don't want to listen to things about religion from unknown people."
Kapshagai: fined for foreigners at children's camp
Baptist Pastor Sergei Li of Kapshagai Baptist Church in Almaty Region was fined the prescribed 100 MFIs on 8 January under Administrative Code Article 490, Part 3. He was punished because foreigners had been present at a church-run children's summer camp without personal registration as missionaries.
In July 2015 about 20 police officers, Prosecutor's Office officials and Education Department officials raided the summer camp. Officials frightened the children and "behaved like they were detaining some criminals", Pastor Li told Forum 18. "One seven-year old girl was frightened and cried, and after that I told them to stop questioning the children." Asked why Almaty TV channel and its subsidiary Almaty News attacked the Baptist Church without a right of reply and to the distress of members, Deputy Chief Editor Tatyana Lisitskaya responded: "The authorities gave us the materials for broadcast" (see F18News 13 August 2015 http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2089).
The two men were punished on 26 May under Administrative Code Article 490, Part 1, Point 1 for drinking tea in a cafe; with five other church members after their Sunday meeting for worship on 17 April (see F18News 14 June 2016 http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2188).
1. Sergei Li; Baptist; 8 January Kapshagai District Court Almaty Region; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.
2. Sultan Kurbanov; shopowner; 12 January Enbekshikazakh District Court Almaty Region; Article 490, Part 1, Point 3; fine 50 MFIs, plus 3 month ban on commercial activity.
3. Viktor Shtrek; Jehovah's Witness; 25 January Ayirtau District Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.
4. Ruslan Bayanbayev; Jehovah's Witness; 28 January Almaty Specialised Interdistrict Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 7; fine 50 MFIs (acquitted on appeal).
5. Ruslan Bayanbayev (second case); Jehovah's Witness; 18 February Almaty Specialised Interdistrict Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 7; fine 50 MFIs.
6. Tatyana Pastukhova; giftshop owner; 25 February Atyrau Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 1, Point 3; fine 35 MFIs, plus 3 month ban on commercial activity.
7. Gennadi Zhirov; Council of Churches Baptist; 24 March Arkalyk City Court; Article 490, Part 1, Point 3; fine 35 MFIs (book destruction order overturned on appeal).
8. Yuri Bekker; Council of Churches Baptist; 24 March Arkalyk City Court; Article 490, Part 1, Point 3; fine 35 MFIs (book destruction order overturned on appeal).
9. Shokan Ualikhanov; Muslim; 8 April Maktaaral District Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.
10. Askar Kaliyev; Muslim; 8 April Maktaaral District Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.
11. Natalya Ayaganova; Jehovah's Witness; 15 April Semei Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.
12. Tamara Talyot; Jehovah's Witness; 15 April Semei Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.
13. Nikolai Levin; Council of Churches Baptist; 20 April Sandiktau District Court; Article 669; fine 10 MFIs.
14. Rustem Seidaliyev; shopkeeper; 20 April Petropavl Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 1, Point 3; fine 50 MFIs, plus 3 month ban on commercial activity.
15. Dina Sarsebekova; Jehovah's Witness; 25 April Oral Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.
16. Roman Dimmel; Council of Churches Baptist; 3 May Shet District Court; Article 669; 3 days' prison.
17. Yegor Prokopenko; Council of Churches Baptist; 22 May Zyryanovsk police; Article 489, Part 9; fine 100 MFIs.
18. Bagitzhan Zholdybayev; Pentecostal; 26 May Atyrau Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 1, Point 1; fine 35 MFIs, plus 3 month ban on unspecified activity.
19. Aleksandr Revkov; Pentecostal; 26 May Atyrau Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 1, Point 1; fine 35 MFIs, plus 3 month ban on unspecified activity.
20. Sofya Bunyak; Council of Churches Baptist; 9 June Ekibastuz police, Pavlodar Region; Article 489, Part 10; police imposed fine of 50 MFIs without court hearing.
21. Asylbek Kiyanbekov; Jehovah's Witness; 20 June Shymkent Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.
22. Bakhytbek Tursynov; Muslim; 28 June Semei Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.
23. Erzhan Shomatayev; Muslim; 28 June Semei Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.
24. Asilkhan Tumeshbayev; Muslim; 28 June Semei Specialised Administrative Court; Article 490, Part 3; fine 100 MFIs.
25. Aleksandr Belan; Council of Churches Baptist; date unknown Sergeyevka police, Akmola Region; Article 489; police imposed fine without court hearing (Prosecutor later annulled fine).
26. [Names withheld for fear of state reprisals]; Protestants; one area in Spring 2016; fines after 5 raids on same day. (END)