Baptist pastor sentenced to hard labour in Kazakhstan

http://www.religiousintelligence.com/news/?NewsID=3184

{Religious Intelligence] 30 Oct 2008--A court in the Akmola Region of Kazakhstan has punished Baptist pastor Andrei Blok with 150 hours' compulsory labour for refusing to pay fines imposed to punish him for leading unregistered worship, according to the verdict seen by Forum 18 News Service.

"If not for many telephone calls to the court and city officials from around the world Andrei could have been put into prison for several months," his family told Forum 18.

Yuliya Merkel of the local Justice Department insisted to Forum 18 that Blok "needs" to register his church, and refused to say what would happen if the church continues to worship without registration.