Doniyor Akhmedov - a Baptist - was one of three Protestants in Uzbekistan known to have been imprisoned for between seven and fifteen days in March and April. He was held after offering a religious leaflet to a passer-by on the street. For the last part of his imprisonment, Akhmedov was held in a small cell with more than ten people and barely space to sleep on the floor. After he was freed he was fined more than three years' official minimum wage. The Deputy Chief of Police, refused to discuss Akhmedov's case. Protestants and Jehovah's Witnesses are frequently fined and occasionally given short-term prison sentences, but Muslims who exercise their right to freedom of religion or belief often face much harsher penalties, including long prison terms.
USA: Baltimore – Freddie Gray riots
30 Apr 2015
Riots left charred cars and buildings, hospitalised police officers and looted and damaged business in Baltimore. A community centre and flats owned by the Southern Baptist Church were burnt down before firefighters could contain the flames. ‘We’re going to rebuild. We’re going to come back strong from this,’ the church’s pastor Donte Hickman told local media outlets. The Southern Baptist Church fire was one of many the Fire Department battled with riots erupted throughout the city following the funeral of Freddie Gray, a young black man who died of injuries sustained after his arrest for ‘catching the eye' of a lieutenant and running away. Six officers were suspended and a criminal inquiry into Gray’s death is under way but all schools were closed on Tuesday, after a day and night that saw hundreds of arrests, 144 vehicle, and 19 structure fires. See also and
Campaigning on a platform of peace in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, Mustafa Akinci is the new President, raising hopes of a breakthrough in stalled reunification talks on ethnically divided Cyprus. It is hoped Mr Akinci will end four decades of division on the island. Dr James Ker-Lindsay, an expert on Cyprus at the London School of Economics, said ‘Akinci, more than any other candidate, can reach out to the Greek Cypriots and make the compromises needed to get talks moving forward.’ UN-brokered negotiations, are expected to resume next month. The new leader has signalled he is open to measures that could help bridge fences in tandem with peace talks. (In 1974 Turkey seized more than a third of the island. In 1991 Turkish Cypriots proclaimed independence and have suffered increasing global isolation). In sharp contrast to the affluent Greek south, the Turkish north has slipped increasingly into poverty, hit by international sanctions and recognised only by Turkey.
Chile: Calbuco volcano erupts twice
30 Apr 2015
The Calbuco volcano in southern Chile erupted twice last week, swewing out 2,400 million cubic feet of ash and forcing the evacuation of 6,000+ people. People are now trying to save their possessions and livestock as roofs of homes and businesses collapsed under the weight of 20” of ash and residents feared for their sheep and cows that are unable to graze. Soldiers have been deployed to help with the clean-up. The authorities have warned of the possibility of further eruptions. They also said that should it rain the ash could mix with debris to create dangerous mudflows and turn ash on the roads and roofs into hard crusts. By Monday residents who had been evacuated were allowed back briefly to salvage some possessions and farmers tried desperately to find places for grazing. Recently Chile has had its fair share of disasters with flooding in the usually arid north and wildfires
Qatar: Nepalese desperate to get home to Nepal
30 Apr 2015
Hundreds of thousands of Nepali migrants working in Gulf States must be allowed to return home after the earthquake devastated their nation, the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) said on Tuesday. ITUC has written to the Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates governments, asking them to suspend a sponsorship system which prevents the free movement of workers. (The system is criticised by human rights groups who compare it to modern day slavery) The United Nations estimates up to 8 million people have been affected by the quake. Hundreds of thousands of Nepali migrants are desperate for news of their loved ones, and want to return to Nepal and do what they can to meet their family’s needs, or in many cases bury their loved ones. They are helpless because they must honour a two or three year contract not to leave the country, not even being given compassionate leave at this time.
Nepal: A missionary’s message
30 Apr 2015
NGO’s with centres in Nepal are mobilising hundreds of staff and resources to assist communities with temporary shelter and aid. Among the many Church groups is ‘Himalayan Region Vineyard Churches’. The following is from a recent facebook entry, ‘Each time there is an aftershock the crows go crazy, the dogs howl, and people call out to each other. We still have not heard from five remote villages where there are Vineyard churches and developing communities. Their houses are made of stone without mortar. A concern is the monsoon season which has just started. Bad timing. Heavy seasonal rains will complicate relief efforts. Landslides will become a concern when the ground becomes saturated. Kathmandu Vineyard has stocked up on food and supplies for the Mobile Bible School. We’ve been using these resources to feed the church people and neighbours who have taken refuge in our courtyard away from the brick walls. It is beautiful the way people are coming together and encouraging each other.
Myanmar: Possible ‘peace deal’
02 Apr 2015
In February we reported Myanmar declaring a state of emergency due to fighting between the army and militia forces fighting for ethnic minorities (many of them Christian). This week Myanmar’s government and representatives from 16 armed groups reached a draft ceasefire agreement. Rebel leaders must give the green light before proceeding and the Kokang have not yet signed on. Myanmar President Thein Sein is satisfied with the deal. However Khon Ja Labang, a Catholic leader and a former member of the Kachin Peace Network currently involved in peace-building in conflict zones, noted that in spite of the Government’s statements it is ‘hard to believe’ their sincerity because the agreement does not include every group and fighting continues in some parts of the country. If it is respected, the deal could put a stop to decades of ethnic violence.
Colombia: Terrorism charge against missionary
02 Apr 2015
A missionary pilot in Colombia needs prayer. From jail, missionary Russell Stendal sent this message to Voice of the Martyrs Canada: ‘Somebody set a trap for me, and we walked into it. There was a secret order out for my arrest’. He states in the video message: ‘They’re accusing me of rebellion, for the missionary trips and the visits I made into rebel-held territory distributing Bibles and radios.’ Is Russ Stendal, the famed missionary to FARC terrorists in South America, actually El Gringo, a terrorist leader seeking the overthrow of Colombia’s government? That question is before a three-judge panel, based on allegations from Carlos Manuel Silva, chief sectional prosecutor for the Colombian department of Cundinamarca, which includes the capital Bogota. If a terrorism trial does occur, Christian leaders believe it has potential to harm missionary outreach across the nation, still suffering from decades of violent conflict and narco-terrorism. Evangelicals are growing by 6% per year, three times higher than the population growth rate.