How are Christians persecuted in Uzbekistan?
- Despite being a secular state, Uzbekistan can be an enormously challenging place for its small pocket of Christians to express and share their faith.
- Converts from Islam can face strong opposition from their family and community, particularly those living in rural regions where Islamic and clan identity is strong.
- House arrest of Christian women is particularly common, severely hindering freedom to express their faith and meet with others.
- Christian women can also face forced marriage, abduction and divorce, as well as sexual violence.
- Church leaders can face fines, arrest, physical abuse and denial of exit visas.
- In the workplace, Christians can be denied promotion and even fired.
- Many believers feel forced to keep their faith secret.
Why are Christians persecuted in Uzbekistan?
- Leaving Islam can be seen as a betrayal of family and community.
- Uzbekistan is also ruled by an authoritarian government that heavily monitors the population, especially religious groups.
- Churches can be hindered by cumbersome and unattainable restrictions. This includes a recently introduced requirement for churches to have a minimum number of members. For small congregations, the number is impossible to reach.
- Churches that don’t fall in line with government protocols – for example, for having ‘unauthorised’ materials – are in danger of raids, arrests, threats and heavy fines.
Who is particularly vulnerable in Uzbekistan?
- New believers are especially exposed to persecution, particularly those living outside the main urban centres.
- One hotspot of severe persecution is Fergana Valley, where traditional Islamic values and clan structures are strongest.
- Government hostility is largely reserved for church leaders, due to the impact it has on the wider Christian community.
What has changed in Uzbekistan in the past year?
- Things have changed very little in Uzbekistan, with the country remaining at 25th on the World Watch List, but recent adjustments to the law have made it even more difficult for churches to operate.
- In March 2025, for example, penalties for possessing ‘unauthorised’ religious literature increased, with fines now reaching 50 times the minimum monthly wage. For leaders and their families, who face the brunt of these penalties, the impact in paralysing.
- The last year has seen a jump in the number of occasions local neighbourhood committees reported Christian activities to the police.
How can I help Christians in Uzbekistan?
- Please keep praying for your brothers and sisters in Uzbekistan. Your prayers make an enormous difference to those following Jesus no matter the cost.
Open Doors strengthens the church in Central Asia through numerous initiatives, including literature distribution, prayer support, presence ministry, livelihood support and women’s ministries.
please pray
Heavenly Father, equip, encourage and empower our sisters and brothers in Uzbekistan as they encounter opposition for their faith. Give leaders wisdom and discernment as they navigate restrictions and surveillance, and for those especially weary today, give them a word to sustain them (Isaiah 50:4). When believers gather, often at great risk, enlarge faith and inspire courage. As the authorities monitor activities, may they unexpectedly encounter You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
