On November 10, a new religion law came into effect in Turkmenistan, making all unregistered religious activity illegal. Penalties for breaking the law include up to one year of "corrective labour." The only religious communities who have been able to be registered are Sunni Muslims and the Russian Orthodox Church.
Forum 18 reported on December 9 that this new law put to use when police raided a Baptist service in Balkanabad on November 30. Everyone, including children, were taken to the police station. They were told that the first two times they break the law, they will face a fine equal to ten times the minimum wage. After that, they will face criminal charges. One of the women was threatened that her children would be taken from her. |
The Baptists in Balkanabad had faced harassment and fines before the introduction of the new religion law, but there are fears that this incident may be an indication of increasing pressure with the legal backing of the new regulations.
Pray for a heart of endurance in the midst of these struggles. Pray for strength these believers and wisdom for parents, as they seek to raise their children in the Christian faith in spite of the opposition which they face.
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