{"id":5542,"date":"2026-03-12T07:07:05","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:07:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.persecution.com\/stories\/police-disrupt-church-services\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T07:07:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T07:07:05","slug":"police-disrupt-church-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.persecution.com\/stories\/police-disrupt-church-services\/","title":{"rendered":"Police Disrupt Church Services"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Kazakh church leaders are reporting an upswing in harassment during church services by government officials. &ldquo;In four different churches on the outskirts of Almaty since the end of December, police have showed up, interrupted services and demanded names and IDs,&rdquo; said a front-line worker. He said that this seems like a new tactic: &ldquo;In the past, pressure from the government has mostly been against radical Islam, not against churches.&rdquo; Pastors and leaders at these churches asked why officers were interrupting the Sunday services, but no reasons were given. Some church leaders were summoned to court, but when they arrived, the prosecuting officers were absent and the cases dismissed. The front-line worker asked for prayer that Christians in Kazakhstan may worship freely without fear of government interference.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.persecution.com\/globalprayerguide\/kazakhstan\/\">Click here<\/a> to find out about Christian persecution in Kazakhstan and learn how to pray.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.icommittopray.com\/request\/2954\/christians-in-kazakhstan\/\" target=\"_blank\">Post a prayer for Christians in Kazakhstan on iCommitToPray.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Kazakh church leaders are reporting an upswing in harassment during church services by government officials. &#8220;In four different churches on the outskirts of Almaty since the end of December, police have showed up, interrupted services and demanded names and IDs,&#8221; said a front-line worker. He said that this seems like a new tactic: &#8220;In the past, pressure from the government has mostly been against radical Islam, not against churches.&#8221;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":181,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[29],"class_list":["post-5542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-i-commit-to-pray","tag-kazakhstan","","tg-column-two"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Police Disrupt Church Services - Stories<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.persecution.com\/stories\/police-disrupt-church-services\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Police Disrupt Church Services - Stories\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Kazakh church leaders are reporting an upswing in harassment during church services by government officials. &quot;In four different churches on the outskirts of Almaty since the end of December, police have showed up, interrupted services and demanded names and IDs,&quot; said a front-line worker. 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