By BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest

ASTANA/MINSK/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Evangelical Christians in Belarus and Kazakhstan faced increased pressure Friday, October 21, to halt unauthorized worship services after pastors were fined and churches raided in the former Soviet republics.

 

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife

BUDAPEST/ASTANA (BosNewsLife)-- Lawmakers in Kazakhstan have voted for controversial legislation that Christians and rights activists say will further limit religious freedom in the mainly Muslim Central Asian state.

By BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest

ASHGABAT/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Devoted Christians in three Central Asian countries are harassed and detained by authorities in ways resembling the Soviet-era, activists and local believers suggested Friday, September 9.

By BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest

BUDAPEST/BAKU (BosNewsLife)-- Scores of Evangelical Christians in Azerbaijan were without Bibles Saturday, May 28, after security forces raided two churches in the seaside city of Sumgai where they also fined church members for unauthorized worship, Christians said.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife

BUDAPEST/KIEV (BosNewsLife)-- Devoted Russian and Ukrainian Christians were among those commemorating the 25th anniversary of the world’s worst nuclear disaster Tuesday, April 26, amid new warnings that  the impact of the explosion at Ukraine's Chernobyl plant is more serious than previously thought.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent BosNewsLife

BUDAPEST/KIEV (BosNewsLife)-- Thousands of veterans involved in cleaning up Ukraine's devastated Chernobyl nuclear power plant have demonstrated against cuts in benefits they receive as compensation for their exposure to radiation. The protest in Ukraine's capital, Kiev, comes just before the 25th anniversary of what is considered the worst atomic accident in history.

By BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest

ASTANA/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Kazakh Christians gathering without government approval were expected to face more punishments after officials said Kazakhstan's long-time President Nursultan Nazarbayev won Sunday's presidential poll.

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent, BosNewsLife

MINSK/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Belarus has denied allegations of large-scale torture in a secret service jail for political prisoners. The statement comes after a just-released former presidential candidate and a leading activist spoke to reporters about the alleged mistreatment of inmates.

By BosNewsLife News Center

TASHKENT/BUDAPEST (BosNewsLife)-- Uzbekistan on Monday, February 28, still refused to release some 15,000 Bibles that were seized earlier by customs authorities and the Bible Society of Uzbekistan said one of its staff members was fined for "violating procedures."

By BosNewsLife News Center in Budapest

BUDAPEST/TASHKENT (BosNewsLife)-- A frail Christian pastor who was released from prison in Uzbekistan last month still faced severe restrictions on his freedom Saturday, February 19, and authorities plan to prosecute other believers for involvement in an unregistered local Baptist church, Christians said.