URGENT NEWS: Government of Kazakhstan demolishes cottages in Hindu community
KAZAKHSTAN:THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RELIGION
Kazakhstan routinely denies that its attacks on and demolition of a Hare Krishna commune are religious freedom issues. Yet this is contradicted by the presence of a state religious affairs official, Ryskul Zhunisbayeva, at the latest court hearing, Forum 18 News Service notes. Questioned what her role was, Zhunisbayave immediately screamed that this has "nothing to do with religion." Lawyers working with the community have withdrawn from the case. "You don't understand us %u2013 you have no family," one lawyer told a devotee, who commented that "Probably they're scared." Also, two Baptists' appeal against large fines for religious activity without state registration has been rejected. As the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's (OSCE) Advisory Panel on religious freedom states that it is it is "deeply concerned" by Kazakhstan's actions, the country's bid %u2013 to be decided next week - to chair the OSCE in 2009 is attracting increasing opposition. This should only happen "if Kazakhstan takes immediate verifiable steps to implement its OSCE human rights pledges, including on freedom of religion or belief," the respected US Commission on International Religious Freedom has stated.
As well as demolishing part of a Hare Krishna commune before the conclusions of a state Commission supposedly appointed to resolve the state's dispute with Hare Krishna devotees were announced, Kazakhstan has reopened five legal cases it had previously withdrawn against devotees, Forum 18 News Service has learnt.
The Commission increasingly appears to have been a device to deflect criticism of Kazakhstan's state religious intolerance (see F18News 17 November 2006 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=872). Despite earlier official assurances, demolition of the commune started before the Commission issued any report (see F18News 24 November 2006 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=876).
On the afternoon of Sunday 26 November, devotees were told that the legal cases had been reopened by the Hakimat (District Administration), Maksim Varfolomeyev, the Hare Krishna spokesperson, told Forum 18 from Almaty. Devotees were also told that the cases would be heard in court at 3 pm the following day, Monday 27 November. However, when they arrived for the hearing, devotees were told the cases had been postponed until 30 November.
"The five cases are identical to the previous ones," Varfolomeyev told Forum 18 on 1 December. "The five home-owners are accused of not having proper documents of ownership of the land, and that they are using the land contrary to its designated purpose." He said the suits call for t
