Uzbek Pastor Dmitry Shestakov released from prison!

Pastor Dmitry Shestakov

We received a report this week that Uzbek Pastor Dmitry Shestakov was released from prison last Friday. Praise God!

VOM sources report that Pastor Shestakov was released at 3 p.m. local time on January 21. No official church representatives went to meet him—only two courageous elders from the Andijan Church.

Shestakov is the pastor of the officially registered Full Gospel Church. He was taken into custody by secret service officials on January 21, 2007, and accused of “incitement of national, racial and religious enmity” under Article 156 of Uzbekistan's penal code. He had been serving a four-year, work camp sentence.

Praise the Lord for Pastor Shestakov's release! Pray for the Shestakovs, as they adjust back to life together. Pray also that the church in Andijan will be strengthened. Pray the Holy Spirit will use Shestakov's faithful witness to bring many of his neighbours, friends and even persecutors to Christ (Romans 12:14, 21).

Stay tuned to future issues of The Voice of the Martyrs newsletter for more on Pastor Shestakov.

You can listen to a video testimony from the Shestakov family filmed during his imprisonment here.