Bishop Nesteruk of the All-Ukrainian Union of Associations of Evangelical Christians Baptists, who came to Uzbekistan on an official visit, was detained by border officers and after a few hours was sent back to Ukraine by air.
Nesteruk came to Uzbekistan on an invitation of the spiritual leadership of Uzbekistan Union of Christians Baptists to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the largest church in Tashkent. According to preliminary information, about 600 Christians gathered there, which is a great achievement for a Muslim country.
Unofficial explanations of the fact that the minister was detained right after the landing of the plane include an argument that the Baptists have already proved to be good missionaries in Uzbekistan. Lawyers assume that the border officers knew about his visit and he was on the list of “undesirable persons.”
The reports says that a tendency of unclear behavior toward Christians and their beliefs in Muslim countries has recently been registered. Another proof thereof is the detention and deportation of a Ukrainian missionary. The Ukrainian was kept under arrest in a basement for several days where they tried to force him to explain his stay in the country. According to the man, if not for an accidental telephone call from an influential politician, he would probably not be alive.