Kazakh's Krishna Society Threatened With New Court Cases

By Maxim Varfolomeyev on 2 Aug 2008 

Immediately following the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly in Astana dedicated to "Transparency in the OSCE" the Kazakhstan government has begun a new attack on the embattled religious community of the Society for Krishna Consciousness. 

The Karasai District Hakim, A. Musakhanov, has cancelled the license to use the buildings possessed by the Krishna Society. The deputy Hakim, M. Bigediev, has told the directors of the Krishna Society to "be ready for new court cases."

On July 11, 2008, the directors of the Krishna Society were called for a meeting with the Karasai deputy Hakim. They were presented a document that annuls the license to use the buildings, quarters and cottages owned by the Society for Krishna Consciousness. The Karasai government issued the license permitting usage in 2001. The current Hakim, Musakhanov, signed the annulment document.

The Krishna Society representatives questioned the reason for revoking the license permitting the buildings usage. The government's legal representative told them that the government possesses the right to issue a license for usage and to arbitrarily revoke it.

The Krishna Society had no lawyers at the meeting and they did not comply with the order to sign the document. They requested the document be sent by registered post and upon receipt the Society's lawyers would review the document.

The deputy Hakim Bigediev responded by threatening, "Be prepared for new court cases."

The buildings in question include the Krishna Society's Temple, barn, and remaining residences.

The Kazakhstan government has been trying to establish legal status to demolish the Krishna Society's Temple and remaining properties. 

In January 2008 the Department of State Architectural and Construction Control conducted a special investigation to determine if the buildings were legal. In March 2008 the Hakim of Almaty Province instructed the Krishna Society that they had one week to accept unusable land plots. Failure to do so would result demolition of their temple and barn.

 

The Kazakh government prosecution against the Krishna Society began in 2005.

The process of selective discrimination has resulted in the demolition of 26 homes of the Hindu practitioners in 2006 and 2007. It also resulted in the confiscation of 116 acres of the legally owned property of the society.

The Kazakh government has offered no humanitarian aid or compensation to the society or it's members.

The Kazakh government has become a member of the OSCE managing troika preceding their 2010 chairmanship. According to the statements of the government officers, Kazakhstan may soon start legal procedures to legitimize the demolition of the only established Hindu temple in Kazakhstan and central Asia.

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