Delegates attending an International Religious Liberty Association conference in Bermuda passed a resolution March 16 condemning religious freedom violations, focusing in particular on the situation in the central Asian country of Turkmenistan.

The resolution criticizes the Republic of Turkmenistan for “banning the holding of religious services both in churches and in private homes,” and says that the government has “demolished religious buildings” and “destroyed religious materials possessed by many of these religious associations.”

The Bermuda resolution goes on to say that “adherents of religious congregations attending religious meetings have been arrested, interrogated, and forced to sign documents agreeing never to meet again with fellow believers,” and that “religious leaders have been arrested for conducting religious services, incarcerated, and threatened with long imprisonment and even death for carrying out their religious duties.”

IRLA delegates at the Bermuda conference state that they “condemn all such actions by any country… and call upon all such offending states… to take all appropriate measures to ensure that everyone has the freedom to meet and manifest their religious beliefs free from governmental restriction or intimidation.” They conclude by stating their regret that Turkmenistan has engaged in such religious freedom violations and that the government should “bring the conduct of the state into accord with its international commitments and its human rights obligations.”

The Turkmen government has become notorious in recent years for its brutal campaign of repression against religious minorities, including Protestant Christian churches, Hare Krishnas, and Jews. Under Turkmen law, only Sunni Muslims and the Russian Orthodox Church are able to gain registration as recognized religions. 

A Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan’s capital, was ordered bulldozed by the Turkmen government in November 1999.  Individuals holding private religious meetings in their homes have suffered harassment from local government officials and have been threatened with the confiscation of their apartments. Pavel Fedotov, an Adventist pastor, was arrested October 21 while holding worship services at a private apartment and was detained for three days for participating in “illegal religious meetings.”

The IRLA conference in Bermuda met March 14 to 16 and was attended by 120 delegates, including religious freedom experts from Russia, Spain, France, Korea, Ivory Coast, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Founded by the Adventist Church in 1893, the IRLA is an independent, non-denominational organization dedicated to promoting religious freedom.  There are IRLA correspondents and local chapters around the world.