Let's begin with the first injustice: the charge. On May 17, 2013, Pastor Kashkumbayev was arrested on suspicion of an offense under Article 103, Part 1 ("intentional serious damage to health") of the Criminal Code.
The police opened the criminal case in October 2012 "for causing significant harm to the mental health" of a member of the church, the Christian Presbyterian 'Grace' Church. The member Almenova LK suffers from the mental illness paranoid schizophrenia. A so-called expert claims that Almenova LK became paranoid schizophrenic because she attended services at the church.
Deeply unfair accusation
This is a serious accusation to make against a church, and with just a little knowledge of the diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, one can see that the accusation is deeply unfair. Although little is known about schizophrenia, it has been proven that 1 % of all people in the world, across all borders and cultures, suffer from the disease. Therefore, it is possible to conduct international studies across cultures to investigate the causes of the disease that are common to sufferers - regardless of cultural, including religious, background.
Researchers believe that 70-80 % of the explanation is genetic, meaning that it is hereditary. In addition, researchers have identified a special sensitivity in the brain of schizophrenics, and traumatic experiences and stress can trigger psychosis. There is therefore no link between being a believer and schizophrenia, which is also reflected in the fact that many people are believers and mentally healthy.
Another accusation is that psychotropic substances were added to the beverage served at communion. However, this is completely untrue, as the drink served was ordinary fruit juice - and communion is celebrated by all Christians all over the world.
New atheistic Soviet regime of terror on the way?
In the Soviet Union, the socialist regime often categorized believers as mentally ill, and perfectly sane believers were admitted to psychiatric hospitals and given psychotropic drugs to 'cure' them of their 'delusions'.
That the authorities in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan are now accusing a church of inflicting mental illness on a woman is therefore reminiscent of the atheist reign of terror in the Soviet Union. It was only 22 years ago, in 1991, that the USSR was dissolved. It was openly atheistic, mocked the church and tried to wipe out Christendom. The accusations can thus be seen as a return to Soviet socialism's view of believers.
The second injustice is the imprisonment for 2 months - before the trial has begun. This also marks a return to a practice found in the Soviet Union.
