Orthodox church desecrated in Bishkek

Priest Dmitry Bogolyubov told an Interfax-Religion correspondent on Sunday that at 3 a.m. on November 6, unidentified criminals rushed into the guard's house, beat the guard, then tied him up and started torturing him trying to clear out where to find money and valuable things. "They torn down his cross, insulted him as a Christian. Then they broke open the kiosk, forced open the safe, took the money and silver items (crosses, rings, chains). They took off the bars, broke the window and passed to the sanctuary, threw about all the things there as well as in prayer part of the church, in the choirs. They broke open boxes for donations. Thanks God, they didn't take church utensils and icons," the priest said.

After the criminal attack they went away with money and silver. The guard is alive, but suffers serious injuries. The criminal case is initiated.

Earlier this August, an Orthodox cemetery was desecrated in north Kyrgystan where unidentified vandals destroyed over 30 tombs.

According to the interviewee of the agency a series of Protestant churches have also been robbed in the republic: 15 Protestant churches were attacked in the last two months.

"The scenario is always the same: a group of four-six armed people of Asian appearance break into the church in masks. They beat the guard, tie him up, there are some lethal cases. The criminals take all valuable things (mostly money)," Father Dmitry said.

Source: Interfax religion