The Tajikistan government puts intense pressure on all “deviating” groups, which includes Christians. Increasingly restrictive legislation has been imposed in the past few years. A youth law, in particular, has left Christians in legal limbo, as it is not obvious what is allowed. Churches that are active in evangelism endure raids, threats, arrests and fines, especially if they have not registered with the government.

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Tajikistan: Children barred from attending church, 5,000 Christian calendars burned

A church in Isfara, northern Tajikistan. (Photo: 2005, World Watch Monitor)

Tajik authorities implementing a new religion law are barring children from attending religious services and have burned thousands of calendars with Bible verses. Amendments to Tajikistan’s Religion Law came into force in January last year, giving the state greater control over religious education, and increase the amount of information religious organisations […]

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Tajikistan: Christian convert’s burial delayed as relatives call for husband to return to Islam

Tajikistan: Christian convert’s burial delayed as relatives call for husband to return to Islam

When an elderly Christian woman from a Muslim background died last week in a Tajikistan hospital, her husband Mihrab* and children – all of them Christians – organised a funeral ceremony and invited people from their church. But Mihrab’s Muslim relatives also invited local Muslims, including a cleric, who demanded […]

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Tajikistan to ‘tighten restrictions’

The World Evangelical Alliance predicts religious restrictions will tighten in Tajikistan as a response to expected Taliban attacks in neighbouring Afghanistan as the number of US troops there falls from 66,000 to 34,000 in February. In a report issued on Jan. 31, the alliance says an “anticipated resurgence of the […]

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