On the 22nd of November, outside Almaty, local authorities destroyed the only Hare Krishna commune in the CIS, a total of eleven houses on 48 acres. The group apparently was not prepared because:

The group apparently was not prepared because there is currently
a state special commission – appointed to investigate allegations of religious harassment against Hindus in Kazakhstan – had promised that no government action would be taken until the commission made its findings public.

RFE/RL notes that temperatures were predicted to be below freezing last night and that an OSCE official was observing. It is not the first time this has happened, on the 25th April five cottages were destroyed by order of the regional court on the 29th of March. At that time, there were protests that the court did not give the prescribed 5 days warning, but the regional officials claimed everything was done by proper procedure, and announced that five more cottages were up for confiscation and demolition. The regional court also decided that the commune not be compensated.
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