28 April 2021 | Forum 18
Armenia, Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani military denied group of Armenian Apostolic Church pilgrims access to monastery situated on territory that went back under Azerbaijani control after the war over Nagorno-Karabakh
Azerbaijan blocks ordination in Armenian monastery (Appeal or News Release, English)
15 April 2021 | Forum 18
Kazakhstan
Zhambyl region: 2 ethnic Dungan Muslims fined for teaching the Koran to children; 7 other Dungans have been fined for similar charges since August 2018
Targeting ethnic Dungan Koran teachers (Appeal or News Release, English)
13 April 2021 | Forum 18
Russian Federation
Kolbino: Authorities withdrew license to conduct formal religious eduction from theological Institute of Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Ingria; it is the third Protestant church to lose higher eduction license
Flagship Protestant colleges stripped of right to offer higher education (Appeal or News Release, English)
9 April 2021 | Forum 18
Kazakhstan
At least 18 people fined by courts in the period January to March 2021 for distributing religious material
"People don't have the right to distribute religious materials in any form whatsoever" (Appeal or News Release, English)
31 March 2021 | Forum 18
Uzbekistan
Baptist woman fined and Muslim man detained, both for possession of religious material; another Muslim man reportedly threatened after publicly criticising ongoing human rights violations
Fines, magazine destruction, short-term jailing, beard shaving, threats (Appeal or News Release, English)
30 March 2021 | Forum 18
Russian Federation, Ukraine
Crimea: Jehovah's Witness sentenced to 6.5 years in prison and 7 further years under certain restrictions on extremism charges
Longest jail term so far (Appeal or News Release, English)
26 March 2021 | Forum 18
Azerbaijan
Article on decisions by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the UN Human Rights Committee with regard to the state's obligation to pay compensation for violations of freedom of religion and belief and list of all respective cases
Will regime implement UN, European Court of Human Rights decisions? (Appeal or News Release, English)
19 March 2021 | Forum 18
Turkmenistan
21-year old Jehovah's Witness for the second time convicted for refusing compulsory military service and sentenced to 2 years in a labour camp
8 conscientious objectors jailed in 2021, UN special procedures ignored (Appeal or News Release, English)
16 March 2021 | Forum 18
Turkmenistan
Police harassment and arbitrary detention of Muslims believed to follow their faith "too closely"
Police detain, threaten, swear at Muslims (Appeal or News Release, English)
12 March 2021 | Forum 18
Uzbekistan
Article on new draft criminal code and comparison of current and new provisions on exercising freedom of religion and belief
"A disguised old Criminal Code with no real changes" (Appeal or News Release, English)