FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
Thursday 22 July 2004
UZBEKISTAN: HARE KRISHNA DEVOTEES EXPELLED AND CORRESPONDENT THREATENED
By Igor Rotar, Forum 18 News Service
Urgench State University has, because of their beliefs, expelled three Hare Krishna devotees, under the pretext of low marks in exams, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. This follows NSS secret police closely monitoring the unregistered Hare Krishna's. In Uzbekistan, contrary to human rights agreements the country has signed, unregistered religious communities are forbidden. The university authorities have also attacked Hare Krishna's, the natural science faculty's dean, Ruzumbay Eschanov, making
unsubstantiated allegations, including claiming that Hare Krishna devotees are planning a coup d'etat or putsch. Hare Krishna devotees Forum 18 has spoken to have been told by the NSS that Forum 18's correspondent will be expelled, but the NSS has refused to discuss this with Forum 18. Khorezm is one of Uzbekistan's most difficult regions for religious minorities, with only one open Christian church left and the NSS admitting that "we are
the ones who closed down the Baptists' church".
If you need to contact F18News, please email us at: