Pictured above: Pastor Bakhrom Kholmatov with his wife Gulnora before he received his prison sentence. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)
On April 10, 2017, the KNB secret police knocked on the church door in Khujand, located in northern Tajikistan. Christian pastor Bakhrom Kholmatov, who leads the Sunmin Sunbogym church, was neither prepared for this unexpected visit nor knew the purpose of the impending raid. During the raid itself, which can only be described as violent, several church members were beaten, harassed and interrogated by the secret police. Pastor Bakhrom Kholmatov was handcuffed and several church materials were seized. These included the book "More than a carpenter" by Josh McDowell, which was published in Danish by Lohse Forlag in 1991 - and certainly cannot be accused of being extreme - and the pastor's computer, according to the news service Forum 18, which the Danish European Mission helped to found.
After a relatively short trial, Bakhrom was sentenced to three years in prison in July 2017 for "singing extremist songs in church and thereby inciting religious hatred". The evidence, consisting of the book "More than a Carpenter" and Christian songs found on Bakhrom's computer, was deemed extremist by imams employed by KNB.
Pictured right: Bakhrom Kholmatov during his trial. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)
What could be the real reason for Bakhrom's imprisonment?
The raid on Pastor Bakhrom's church is just one of many raids by KNB and Tajik authorities on churches in northern Tajikistan since the beginning of 2017. The Tajik authorities claim that Bakhrom's church is illegal as it is not registered. However, the church was officially registered in 1993 by the Committee for Religious Affairs of Tajikistan and re-registered in 2009 due to a change in the law.
People close to Bakhrom who choose to remain anonymous believe that he was arrested because of a conflict over a building owned by the church. The authorities are very interested in this building and would like to take possession of it. At a meeting, Bakhrom was asked to sign a document handing over the building, but he refused.
Bakhrom is imprisoned 360 km away from his wife and children
42-year-old Bakhrom Kholmatov, father of three and married to Gulnora, is serving his three-year prison sentence in Yavan prison in southern Tajikistan, some 360 km from his home. Bakhrom has been allowed family visits and to keep his Bible in his prison cell, according to a source close to Bakhrom, who chose to remain anonymous due to threats of reprisals.
What can you do?
Imprisoned Christians often experience great spiritual pressure and they need our prayers and encouragement. A letter will therefore be of great encouragement to Bakhrom. He is serving his sentence simply because he boldly confesses his faith in Jesus and puts it into practice.
- Click here to download the letter.
- Write a small personal greeting to him in English. It must not be critical of Tajikistan.
- Sign the letter.
- Send it to Danish European Mission, Drejervej 15, 2400 Copenhagen NV or by email: info@daneu.dk. We will forward it to the prison.
Click here to read the letter in Danish.
