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OSCE Region - Guidelines for Review of Legislation Pertaining to Religion or Belief

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Forum 18 is based on Article 18 of both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights - "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion."

http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1405

KAZAKHSTAN - WOMEN'S PRAYER SERVICE LEADS TO MASSIVE FINE

By Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service

Kazakhstan has fined Zhanna-Tereza Raudovich 100 times the minimum monthly wage for hosting a Sunday morning worship service in her home, attended by local Baptist women and their children, Forum 18 News Service has learned. Police who raided Raudovich's home drew up an official record that "they had discovered an illegally functioning religious community", local Baptists complained to Forum 18. An appeal was due to be heard on 11 February. It remains unclear how Raudovich could pay the fine, as she has six children and does not have paid work. She has been warned that she will face criminal charges if she does not pay the fine. Meanwhile, Kazakh police have told Forum 18 that Kazakh-born Baptist Dmitry Leven will be deported for "illegal missionary activity" unless an appeal to Kazakhstan's Supreme Court against his conviction is successful. As the Supreme Court has refused to even consider an appeal, it is unclear what will happen to Leven. "I just want to be able to remain here," Leven told Forum 18. "I don't want to go anywhere else."

Unless she succeeds in her appeal on 11 February, Zhanna-Tereza Raudovich will be due to pay a massive fine for hosting a Sunday morning service in her home attended by several local Baptist women and their children, Baptists and court officials told Forum 18 News Service. Meanwhile, the Migration Police have told Forum 18 that fellow-Baptist Dmitry Leven will be deported for "illegal missionary activity" unless a final appeal to Kazakhstan's Supreme Court is successful.

Also, the government version of a new Code of Administrative Offences, now in Parliament, continues almost unchanged the penalties for religious activity in the current Code and adds a new offence of "inciting social, racial, national, religious, class and clan superiority" (see F18News 10 February 2010 http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=1407).

Police discover "an illegally functioning religious community"

The 17 January worship service in Raudovich's home was raided by local police and she was fined three days later. She belongs to the Council of Churches Baptists, who reject state registration in all the former Soviet republics where they operate. They insist that such registration represents unwarranted state interference in their internal affairs.

The police who raided Raudovich's home in the village of Ayteke Bi in Kazaly District of Kyzylorda Region drew up an official record that "they had discovered an illegally functioning religious community", local Baptists complained to Forum 18 on 5 February.

Raudovich was found guilty on 20 January by Judge M. Zhubanganov at Kazaly District Court of violating Article 374-1 Part 1 of the Code of Administrative Offences (leadership or participation in the activity of an unregistered social or religious organisation) by conducting the Sunday service, according to the verdict seen by Forum 18. She was fined 100 times the minimum monthly wage or 141,300 Tenge (5,713 Norwegian Kroner, 699 Euros or 955 US Dollars). She appealed against the fine to Kyzylorda Regional Court, where her appeal was to be heard on 11 February, a court official told Forum 18.

Baptists told Forum 18 that on 21 January she received a written warning from the court executor Sermagambetov (first name unknown) that if she does not pay the fine she will face criminal trial.

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