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Pastor Sergey Khripunov |
Two days later, the church service was disrupted when four police officers burst into the room and demanded that the meeting be stopped. Six people, including the pastors Nikolay Shevchenko and Sergey Khripunov , were detained and ordered to give written statements. According to VOM sources, when they refused to do so without a lawyer present, they were threatened and held until evening. Later that evening, they received a telephone call from the police further threatening them and demanding that they return to the police station at 5:00 a.m. the next morning. They refused to do without a legal summons. A hearing on the charges facing the pastors was planned for June 17. It has now been rescheduled for July 7.
Speaking to a VOM contact, Pastor Sergey Khripunov said that they can be imprisoned for fifteen days for the first conviction, but could face three to eight years if they continue to gather. The church has approximately one hundred members who meet in smaller Bible study groups.
Khripunov has asked for the prayers of God's people. "Pray for us, that the Lord [will give] us a possibility to stand through, so that we [will] stay faithful under these circumstances, in which we live and work. Pray that this does not influence the young believers, because some were tempted, unfortunately, because of the persecution. People are afraid to hold services openly. Pray that God [will give] power to withstand…."
For more information on the situation facing Christians in Uzbekistan, click here.
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