WASHINGTON
- November 7, 2013
Bakhytzhat Kashkumbayev (Pastor B.K.), a Christian
pastor, has been wrongly imprisoned and tortured by the government of
Kazakhstan for his Christian activities, including his role in the
conversion of a young congregant from Islam to Christianity.
Laughably,
he was initially accused of lacing her communion wine with
hallucinogens.
Pastor
B.K. was initially arrested on May 17, however, as a result of
international ridicule and the fact that Pastor B.K. was approaching the
maximum limit of pre-trial detention under Kazakh law, the authorities
released him only to re-arrest him moments later on the more serious
charges of propagating terrorism/extremism.
ICC
sources report that Pastor B.K. has been subjected to "Soviet-style
psychological examinations" and tell us that "it is only because of
international attention that Pastor B.K. has not been killed."
Pastor
B.K. has now been imprisoned without a hearing for 182 days. He is 67
years old, and in failing health. He is subjected to regular abuse.
The
human rights organization International Christian Concern (ICC), today
launched a campaign to pressure the Kazakh government to immediately
release Pastor B.K., so that he may reunite with his family and receive
the medical attention he desperately needs.
ICC has set up a landing page
with and overview of Pastor B.K.'s case. ICC is calling upon all
supporters of religious freedom to A.C.T. on behalf of Pastor B.K.
C (Contact): Contact Kazakhstan Embassy officials and demand his release.
T (Take): Take a "selfie" (picture) with an "I stand with Pastor B.K." sign, then upload it to the facebook page. The Free Pastor B.K. page has all the information activists will need in order to advocate for his release.
ICC
President Jeff King adds that "Kazakhstan is a key American ally in
Central Asia, particularly in regional security and energy cooperation.
The U.S. Government has close ties with Astana, and we believe that an
outcry over Pastor B.K.'s treatment will not fall on deaf ears."
President Obama recently endorsed Kazakhstan's bid to join the World
Trade Organization, and Kazakhstan has received over 2 billion dollars
in American aid since independence from the former Soviet Union in 1992.
Previously,
ICC submitted a petition with signatories from over 75 countries
demanding freedom for Pastor B.K.. ICC continues to work closely with
the State Department and other human rights organizations to leverage
American influence towards ending Pastor B.K.'s persecution.
[Editor's
note: Jeff King, President of ICC, is an internationally recognized
expert on the persecution of minority religious communities and is the
author of Islam Uncensored (Amazon). ICC is located on the Web at www.persecution.org. He
is available for interview, and all of our resources are at your
disposal to assist with coverage of this story. Recent photos and video
are also available, as well as well-placed primary sources.
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