Authorities in Turkmenistan have threatened a church pastor with prison and pressured his non-Christian relatives to urge him to stop practicing his faith, according to rights group Forum 18.
The Rev. Rahymjan Borjakov, 44, leads a non-registered church in the village of Dogryyol, Charjew District, in eastern Lebap Region, some 15 miles northwest of regional capital, Turkmenabat. The pastor of the church, which is formally banned from meeting for worship, is often under surveillance by state authorities, according to Forum 18.
A mosque official in Dogryyol identified as Juman Illiyev reportedly told mosque attendees at a meeting in early July that Pastor Borjakov “will sooner or later be locked up” and “work is already underway on this.” No further details were given about where Illiyev obtained this information or why he disclosed it publicly.
Non-Christian relatives of the pastor, however, began receiving threats about two weeks after the public remarks. An officer of the Ministry of State Security secret police and a regional religious affairs official visited Pastor Borjakov’s family home in Dogryyol.
“They sought information about his brother and cousins, taking car numbers and details of their places of work or study,” a Christian unnamed for security reasons told Forum 18. Pastor Borjakov was not present at the time of the state officials visiting his home.
The Christian told Forum 18 that the relatives were not Christians and remained afraid of reprisals.
“That’s why they’re afraid,” the source said. “They fear problems at their places of work or study because of him.”
State police are believed to be using this pressure on relatives to curb Pastor Borjakov’s freedom of religion or belief.
Relatives also reportedly suffered “threatening and insulting” phone calls from a phone number linked to a man known as Ylham. He is an officer of the Police’s 7th Department, which controls religious activity, according to Forum 18.
The rights group called his phone number on July 24, but the man answering refused to confirm or deny whether he was Ylham and declined to answer questions.
Forum 18 also telephoned Lebap Region’s Religious Affairs Department in Turkmenabat about the pressure put on Pastor Borjakov and his relatives. Each call went unanswered.
When the group called the Cabinet of Ministers Religious Affairs Department in Ashgabat, an unnamed official refused to confirm if Pastor Borjakov was facing arrest and denied that his relatives were threatened.
“This didn’t happen,” he reportedly said.
Yusupguly Eshshayev, chair of the Human Rights Committee of the parliament, which was not freely elected, put the phone down each time Forum 18 called seeking answers about why state authorities had targeted Pastor Borjakov.
State authorities pressured the pastor earlier this year. When he tried to board a flight at Ashgabat Airport leaving Turkmenistan, migration officials prevented him. He had a valid passport and flight ticket.
“Officials refused to give him an explanation,” an unnamed Christian told Forum 18.
Pastor Borjakov wrote an official complaint to President Serdar Berdimuhamedov about the arbitrary denial of the right to leave the country. It is not known if Berdimuhamedov responded, but the flight ban has reportedly been lifted.
Forum 18 also reported that Orthodox churchgoers were under pressure to stop attending worship meetings. Numbers of Slavic believers, including Ukrainians and Russians, have declined to attend services in recent years, reducing the number of people at state-permitted Russian Orthodox churches.
The rights group said that both police and secret police officers, alongside local administration officials, had pressured ethnic Turkmen, Tatars, Uzbeks and Tajiks and their families to convert to Islam and not attend Orthodox churches.
Berdimuhamedov, a Muslim like his father, former President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, attends openings of state-controlled mosques, Forum 18 reported. At the same time, officials have destroyed pig farms in Charjew, Danew and Farap Districts and closed two enterprises producing pork sausages in Turkmenabat. The rights group linked the crackdown on pork production to Berdimuhamedov’s Islamic faith, which prohibits Muslims from eating pork.
Turkmenistan ranked 29th on Open Doors’ 2024 World Watch List (WWL) of the 50 countries where Christians face most persecution.
“Although Turkmenistan’s constitution allows for religious freedom, in reality, there is little room for Christians to breathe, with tight restrictions and close surveillance making it very difficult for believers to express and share their faith,” the WWL report states. “The totalitarian government of Turkmenistan uses a huge body of state agents, such as police, secret services and local imams, to closely monitor all religious activities.”
Any printing or importing of Christian materials is controlled and restricted by the regime, according to Open Doors, which supports oppressed believers.
“Historical Christian communities such as the Russian Orthodox and Armenian Apostolic churches largely abide by government restrictions and so face less interference, although Sunday services may be monitored,” the WWL report states. “Unregistered churches, however, such as Baptist, Evangelical and Pentecostal groups, suffer from raids, threats, arrests and fines.”
Christians converting from Islam face more extreme oppression from families, friends and community, as well as from state authorities.
“Men can experience beatings, threats, disinheritance and boycotting of businesses, while women can face house arrest, forced marriage, verbal abuse, threats, social rejection and sexual assault,” the WWL report states.
