A church leader in Kyrgyzstan has sustained traumatic brain injuries while in prison, according to the rights group Forum 18, amid allegations of torture by state security officials.
Rev. Pavel Shreider, 65, a pastor with the True and Free Reform Adventist Church, is serving a three-year sentence on charges of “inciting enmity,” which his supporters describe as fabricated. He was transferred on 25 September to a medical unit at Prison No. 31 in Bishkek after his family raised concerns over his deteriorating health.
Prison authorities confirmed that Pastor Shreider has cognitive impairment resulting from traumatic brain injury. His daughter, Vera Shreider, said the pastor had been visibly weak during a court hearing on 9 September, and that prison officials delayed medical care for more than two weeks.
The pastor’s arrest in November 2024 followed a raid by the National Security Committee (NSC) on his home and the homes of ten church members. Forum 18 reported that Pastor Shreider and three other church members were beaten and tortured during interrogation. Pastor Shreider stated that officers struck him with an iron pipe and kicked him, while other members were subjected to stun guns and strangulation with plastic bags.
Five UN Special Rapporteurs, including Nazila Ghanea, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, wrote to Kyrgyz authorities in July, expressing concern over the alleged torture, arrests, and the prosecution of Pastor Shreider. The UN requested information on the pastor’s health and the measures taken to investigate the allegations.
Pastor Shreider’s appeal against his conviction and three-year prison term is ongoing. Meanwhile, the Kyrgyz courts have banned the True and Free Reform Adventist Church, labelling it “extremist.” The ban prevents the church from holding worship services.
The pastor’s family and rights groups have called for urgent medical care and accountability for those responsible for the alleged abuse. No officials have been prosecuted for the reported torture.
Adapted from CDI.
