Uzbekistan continues to punish people who exercise their religious freedom without state permission. In one recent case, police and secret police searched the home of NSS Natalya Kim in Yukori-Chirchik, where a group of Protestants were meeting. Local protesters say that the search was conducted under the pretext that there was a bomb in the house. While searching for the alleged bomb, the police confiscated Christian books and a laptop computer.
Subsequently, 14 members of the unregistered Protestant church were fined for an "illegal meeting in a private home". The sentence was handed down after the time required by law, meaning it cannot be appealed.
Natalya Kim herself was fined the largest fine of 60 times the minimum wage. Police officer Farhod Raimkulov told Forum 18 that "when many people gather in one place, it is the duty of the local police to investigate what is going on". When Forum 18 asked if this meant that police could or should search Raimkulov's home when he is holding a party or other event, he claimed he had not taken part in the search of Kim's home.
Source: Forum 18 News, which the Danish European Mission is co-founder and involved in the management of.
