-- requesting urgent prayer for Pastor Kashkumbayev of Grace Church, Astana
By Elizabeth Kendal
Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin (RLPB) 223
Special to ASSIST News Service
AUSTRALIA
(ANS) -- The population of Kazakhstan is
63 percent Turkic (mostly ethnic Kazakhs) and 31 percent Slavic (mostly
ethnic Russians). It is 54 percent Muslim, 34 percent non-religious and
12 percent Christian (who are overwhelmingly Orthodox). Protestant
fellowships are viewed with suspicion, derided in the media and targeted
in policy as 'new religious movements' (cults) and 'foreign'. Religious
liberty has been in decline for several years, in line with the loss of
US influence. The treatment being suffered by several dissidents
(including a Protestant pastor) indicates Kazakhstan is returning to
Soviet-era methods of social control. The President of Kazakhstan,
Nursultan Nazarbayev, was appointed Prime Minister of the Soviet
Republic of Kazakhstan in April 1990. He has continued on as President
since the break-up of the USSR.
Lyazzat Almenova (34) is a
member of Grace Church in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana. In July 2011 her
mother alleged that her daughter had developed paranoid schizophrenia
as a result of Pastor Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev's religious services, an
assessment confirmed in September 2012 by a state 'expert'. In October
2012 authorities launched a criminal investigation into Pastor
Kashkumbayev (66) 'for causing considerable harm to the psychological
health' of a church member. On 17 May 2013 Pastor Kashkumbayev was
arrested,s accused of violating Criminal Code Article 103, Part 1:
'Intentional inflicting of serious harm to health'. In court, the
prosecutor alleged that 'the crime was carried out by Kashkumbayev under
the guise of carrying out charitable and religious activity by means of
exerting psychological influence on church members, including using
stupefying substances with the aim of collecting gifts for the use of
the association'.
Lyazzat
Almenova, who has been subjected to forced psychiatric treatment by the
state, told
Forum 18 that Pastor Kashkumbayev is 'totally innocent and has not
harmed my health at all'. In a letter to the Astana Prosecutor's Office,
Almenova claims she is psychiatrically healthy and the psychiatric
assessment conducted on her in September 2012 was conducted illegally;
she appealed for the case against Pastor Kashkumbayev to be dropped.
Likewise, other church members are adamant that Pastor Kashkumbayev has
not done anything wrong nor has he harmed anyone. The 'stupefying
substances' alleged to have been administered have turned out to be
nothing other than the readily available red tea used by Grace Church as
a non-alcoholic communion wine. With the case against Kashkumbayev
falling apart, the authorities appear to be making moves to save face.
Astana
Police Investigator Vyacheslav Glazkov has ordered that Kashkumbayev's
detention be extended until 17 August so he can undergo further
psychiatric assessments. On 19 July Pastor Kashkumbayev was transferred
to Almaty City Detention Centre No. 2, from where he would be t
ransferred to the Almaty City Psychological-Psychiatric Assessment
Centre. Pastor Kashkumbayev protested, writing in a letter that, even
though he does suffer many physical ailments, he knows he is
'psychologically healthy'.
Kazakhstan's
use of forced psychiatric treatment on dissidents has drawn
international condemnation. Kashkumbayev now fears that the authorities
may move to whitewash his case by having him committed as insane. 'In
order to make me mad they will inject me with special substances,' he
writes. 'Because of this I announce [a] hunger strike and refuse to
leave for the psychiatric ward.' Kashkumbayev's lawyer warned his client
that this could be really dangerous but Kashkumbayev was unmoved. He
has expressed the fear that 'it will not take much for the authorities
to make me a vegetable', pleading, 'I am begging you to protect me.'
Since he was forcibly moved to the Almaty Psychiatric Centre,
Kashkumbayev's family and lawyer have not heard anything.
Prosecutor
Alen Tlenchiyev confirmed to Forum 18, 'Kas
hkumbayev is charged with the serious crime of inflicting serious harm
on the health of citizens. [He] prayed for the sick, and psychologically
influenced [Church members] . . . [and] 'people's health was harmed as a
total result of his actions.' Pastor Kashkumbayev's son, Askar,
believes the police investigator is trying to find evidence that does
not exist. 'He may also hope that my father will be diagnosed as
mentally ill so he can close the case now that there is so much
international attention to it.' As Forum 18 notes, this would allow the
Pastor to be confined in a psychiatric hospital. 'Our only hope,' said
Askar, 'is the support we can get from wider public and international
community. The local news media publish materials against my father. It
looks like the authorities are intent on punishing my father.'
PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY THAT --- the ever-present Lord of Hosts will shield, protect and deliver Pastor Kashkumbayev.'Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me. Arise, O Lord! Confront him [the enemy], subdue him! Deliver my soul from the wicked by your sword, from men by your hand, O Lord, from men of the world whose portion is in this life.' (Psalm 17:7-8,13-14 ESV)
- the
Lord, who does not approve of abuse and injustice (Lamentations
3:34-36), will intervene in Kazakhstan to reverse its slide into
darkness. May Kazakhstan's citizens be awakened to reject and protest
this shameful and dangerous regression.
- God will give Kazakhstan's Protestant and independent Christian fellowships great wisdom, courage and grace in these delicate and difficult days. May the Holy Spirit bless their gos pel witness with effectual transforming power.
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PASTOR IN KAZAKHSTAN VICTIM OF SOVIET METHODS
Lyazzat
Almenova (34) is a member of Grace Church in Kazakhstan's capital,
Astana. In 2011 her mother made allegations against the church, claiming
the pastor had caused her daughter to become 'schizophrenic'. After a
state 'expert' confirmed the diagnosis, the police started investigating
Pastor Kashkumbayev (66). He was arrested, accused of 'praying for the
sick' and thereby 'psychologically influencing' church members so that
their health is harmed. He is also accused of using 'stupefying
substances' (which turned out to be the non-alcoholic red tea used in
communion) to 'collect gifts' (church offerings) from members. With the
prosecution's case collapsing, Pastor Kashkumbayev has been sent to the
Almaty City Psychological-Psychiatric Assessment Centre. T
here are great fears for his well being there. Please pray for him,
Kazakhstan and its Church.
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To view this RLPB with hyperlinks or to access RLPB and RLM archives, visit the Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin blog
See all ASSIST News articles at www.assistnews.net| Elizabeth
Kendal is an international religious liberty analyst and advocate. She
is an Adjunct Research Fellow in the Centre for the Study of Islam and
Other Faiths at the Melbourne School of Theology, and Director of
Advocacy for Canberra-based, Christian Faith & Freedom. Elizabeth Kendal is the author of Turn Back the Battle: Isaiah speaks to Christians today (Deror Books, Dec 2012) This prayer bulletin was initially written for the Australian Evangelical Alliance Religious Liberty Commission (AEA RLC) Elizabeth Kendal's blogs: Religious Liberty Monitoring and Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin and Critical Prayer Requests |
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