Christians in Kazakhstan reject paying unfair fines for their faith, so they are banned from leaving the country

Seven Christians are being fined in Kazakhstan because of their faith, and have also been banned from leaving the country after refusing to pay the unfair fine.

From the city of Oral, on the country’s border with Russia, Nikolai Novikov is one of those affected by the unfair treatment that he and 6 other brothers in the faith are receiving, since they are all members of churches and some, like this chaos are part of the Council of Baptist Churches.

“We don’t feel guilty, so we don’t pay,” he explained, arguing that they should not be punished for exercising their right to religious freedom, according to what they told Open Doors.

But the issue comes because if he doesn’t pay the fines, he cannot leave the country, that is why Nikolai has not been able to visit his family in Russia since 2013. Since that time, he has been part of the “Forbidden to Travel” list, according to the Ministry of Justice.

Last year, he was fined for distributing Christian literature, causing him deductions from his salary after receiving a court order; Like him, six other believers have problems leaving the country.

Kazakhstan is known to have a strong Muslim belief and the country’s government heavily controls religious activities based on “quelling the threat of Islamic extremism.”

Likewise, the government does not allow religious activities that are not approved by them, so the Protestant churches are considered a threat to the country’s political power, being one of the main targets of their authorities.

READ ALSO: Biden Administration is using 55 agencies to track those who don’t get vaccinated for “religious reasons”

Kazakhstan is currently ranked 47th on the 2022 World Christian Persecution List made by Open Doors, an organization that monitors discrimination and violence against believers around the world.

For the country, all those who decide to abandon the official religion of the country are a threat, so they are led to a life full of obstacles, but regardless of the surveillance, the invasions of churches and even the fines, these believers do not renounce to their faith in Christ.

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