Petition Calling for the Immediate and Unconditional Release of Pastor Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Help free a wrongfully arrested Pastor in Kazakhstan!

Although it rarely if ever makes the headlines in the Western world, Kazakhstan is home to one of the more brutal regimes in Central Asia. Under a government that traces its roots to the Soviet Union, religious minorities face harsh restrictions on their activities and any unregistered activity is completely forbidden. Churches must be registered to operate, but the government rarely grants a church registration, leaving the majority of Christians to worship illegally or not at all.

In October things took a turn for the worst when police stormed Grace Church in the capital of Astana. They detained members for questioning and soon hurled wild accusations at the church pastor, Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev, accusing him of putting hallucinogens in the communion juice. The charges were simply an excuse to harass the church until last month when police decided to arrest Pastor Kashkumbayev and lock him away in Astana’s “Temporary Isolation Prison” where he will remain for at least the next two months as charges are brought against him.

Kazakhstan has a reputation for treating their prisoners terribly. Conditions are horrible and some prisoners die after sustained beatings by guards. We must do everything we can to ensure Pastor Kashkumbayev is released immediately. The longer he remains imprisoned the greater the chance he will be tortured, beaten, and mistreated. Lend your voice to ours and call on the Kazakhstan government to release Pastor Kashkumbayev today!

The more voices that join the better! After you sign spread the word to friends, family, classmates and fellow church members by printing out the petition or emailing and tweeting the link to everyone you know!

Don’t forget to use our petition hashtag: #RaiseYourVoice

Follow the instructions below and have your signatures back to us by Wednesday, July 31st.

 

Here's How You Can Help

#1 Pray: The first thing you can do to help is stop right now and ask the Lord to intervene on behalf of Pastor Bakhytzhan Kashkumbayev.

#2 Next, review our petition.

#3 Electronically sign the petition by clicking here. 

#4 Print out the petition and take it to your friends and church and have everyone you know sign it. Send it back to us so we can compile the responses.

Feel free to print out extra signature pages for large numbers of sign ups. When you have collected all your signatures, please mail the signature pages to:

ICC

PO Box 8056

Silver Spring, MD 20907

or fax them to us at (301) 585-5918

Please get them back to us by Wednesday, July 31st.