Believers Call for Prayer Amid Political Violence

In April, the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan was torn by the violent overthrow of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev, who fled to political asylum in Belarus. The interim Kyrgyz government issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Bakiyev, charging him with mass murder due to police opening fire on protesters. While the interim government has set national elections for October, Kyrgyz believers say that with violence, looting and murders continuing across the country, they are asking Christians around the world to pray for peace in their impoverished nation.

For the first few years following the end of Soviet communism, Kyrgyzstan enjoyed a time of relative peace, and evangelical churches enjoyed a significant amount of freedom to worship and proclaim the Gospel. Pray with us that the new government will loosen restrictions against the churches that had been imposed by the previous regime. Above all, please continue to pray for peace in this tragic, troubled land.