President Nursultan Nazarbaev of Kazakhstan has sent a repressive new law severely limiting freedom of religion or belief for review by the country’s Constitutional Council, Forum 18 News Service has learnt. Meanwhile, the government continues to repress the exercise of freedom of thought, conscience and belief. A Baptist has this month had his main source of income confiscated and been fired from his job, because he led worship without state permission. Speaking of his former employer, who fired him after being visited by court officials, Pastor Aleksandr Kerker said that “he is not to blame though – he was afraid.” Hare Krishna devotees have been detained by police in Almaty for handing out religious literature. Officer candidates and other students at the Kazakh Air Force’s main training establishment have been warned against “religious extremism” and “religious groups non-traditional for Kazakhstan”. They were also shown a film claiming that the Hare Krishna faith incites devotees to commit murder.

Human rights defenders and religious communities have given a cautious welcome to President Nursultan Nazarbaev’s decision to send the restrictive new Religion Law for a review by the Constitutional Council. “We’ll be delighted if the President doesn’t sign the law,” Baptist pastor Yaroslav Senyushkevich told Forum 18 News Service from the capital Astana on 8 January. “The Law would introduce harsh persecution.” However, he pointed out that his communities – which refuse to seek state registration on principle – already face repression. “We’re fined and banned from meeting for worship – they want to close our churches.”

The Constitutional Council consists of people directly nominated by President Nazarbaev and by the upper and lower houses of parliament – both of which are dominated by the President’s own party. The new Law was passed by both houses of parliament.

The government continues to repress people exercising freedom of thought, conscience and belief in the country. In the latest problem for Baptist pastor Aleksandr Kerker in Tayinsha in North Kazakhstan Region, court bailiffs seeking to recover the fine he has refused to pay for leading unregistered worship went to his private employer in early January 2009, demanding that he hand over the money from Kerker’s wages. “He refused, telling them they should deal with this directly with me,” Kerker told Forum 18 from Tayinsha on 8 January. “But he sacked me anyway, saying he can do without such problems. He is not to blame though – he was afraid.”

Kerker said he now has no source of income to support himself, his wife and his ten children, six of whom are minors. Bailiffs have already told him they will return after New Year to confiscate a cow, his refrigerator and gas stove.

Kerker defended his right to worship without seeking state permission and insisted that such items should not be confiscated as they are necessities. He said it is not clear when the bailiffs might return to take away the items.

Court bailiff Vladimir Kapareyko den