Adherents of a different faith 26.07.2010
 On 20 July, 47 people from the youth Christian group, including two pastors, from registered Protestant churches in Dashoguz, Turkmenabat, Ashgabat and Bezmein (Abadan) following the tradition made a two-day visit to the picturesque Sekiz-Yab in the Geoktepe etrap to spend time together, pray and hold contests on their knowledge of the Holy Scriptures.
On the first day there were jeeps regularly passing by near to the venue where the believers were congregating. On the second day, at 1-00 p.m. a police car approached and the police officers asked the group to accompany them to the Geoketpe police station to take down witness statements. According to the police-officers, a shepherd had been killed nearby.
The credulous and law-abiding believers headed to the police station in the buses they had rented. Yet, the “killed shepherd” story was not mentioned when they got there. People wearing civilian clothes, not police uniforms interrogated each and everyone asking the same questions about who converted them to the religion and who funds their activities. Then copies of their passports were made, fingerprints and photos were taken and copies of the Bible were confiscated without taking any records.
After this the people who had conducted the procedures left and the policeman on duty did not allow the believers to leave the police station until early morning. Only in the morning, without any explanation or apology, the group of young Christians was released. |
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