§ Lord Hyltonasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they are discussing with the Government of Turkmenistan the closure of all the churches belonging to the Baptist Union in that country, the confiscation of the contents of the church in Ashgabad (Niyazov district), and the confiscation of the Ashgabad Pentecostal Church in March. [HL1834]
§ Baroness Scotland of AsthalThe British Government are very concerned about recent actions taken by the Turkmen authorities against some Christian churches in Turkmenistan, including the closure and confiscation of churches and their contents, and the arrest and alleged beating of some members of these churches. Since December 2000, the UK, together with EU Partners and the US has issued two démarches to the Turkmen Foreign Minister to protest at such actions. We continue to use every opportunity to discuss with the authorities human rights issues, including religious persecution, and to urge them to implement their international human rights obligations.