Print this pageFor Immediate Release
February 22, 2010
(Russian)
Amnesty for convicted Bible teacher
ANDIJAN, Uzbekistan—Lyudmila Nikolskaya, a 55-year-old mother and pensioner, was granted amnesty by court decision on November 13, 2009. Mrs. Nikolskaya had been charged on October 16, 2009, by the city prosecutor for “illegal” religious teaching.
Three other Jehovah’s Witnesses remain in prison for sentences of up to four years for allegedly organizing “illegal religious activity” and have been excluded from amnesty considerations. In granting the one amnesty, the court took into consideration that Nikolskaya had not been previously convicted and her actions were not gross violations. The court applied the amnesty pardon based on the Decree of the Cabinet of Ministers, dated August 28, 2009. The basis for the decree was the eighteenth anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence. In granting the amnesty, the court exempted Nikolskaya from the punishment and any limitations imposed on her during the investigation.
Jehovah’s Witnesses hope that this amnesty is a positive sign indicating that constructive dialogue with Uzbek authorities regarding the normalizing of relations between the state and Jehovah’s Witnesses and amnesty for the three other imprisoned believers will be possible.
English-speaking contact: Philip Brumley, telephone (845) 306-0711
Russian-speaking contact: Yuriy Toporov, telephone +7-727-232-36-62