Three churches in Kazakhstan have been fined by police this year, without a court hearing, for meeting for worship without state permission, it emerged in July.
Police acquired the power in January 2015. Prosecutors subsequently annulled one of the fines. Baptists and human rights defenders are concerned that the new state tactic of summary police fines, to punish the exercise of freedom of religion or belief, might be used more widely.
One Baptist told Norwegian human rights organisation Forum 18 on 12 July that such summary police fines haven’t been used against them before. He has himself been fined and given short-term prison terms through the courts previously. ‘No one explained to us why they've suddenly started doing this.’
