Pastor Sentenced By Uzbeki Court For Illegal Religious Activity

Last Friday in the city of Andijan in Uzbekistan, Protestant pastor Dmitry Shestakov was sentenced to four years' exile inside the country for his religious activity, according to a report from Forum 18. Shestakov was charged with three Criminal Code violations: illegal organization of social or religious organizations (Art. 216); inciting ethnic, racial or religious hatred (Art. 156, pt. 2); and distributing materials containing ideas of religious extremism (Art. 244-1, pt. 2). However two of the three charges were withdrawn during the trial. The prosecutor has asked that a 5 year prison sentence be imposed. Shestakov's friends say that there were a number of irregularities in the trial.