Image of former president Niyazov.
"Although officials don't mention it, I believe there is a religious motivation to this case," said Kalataevsky's wife, Valentina Kalataevskaya. She has not seen him since his arrest and thinks he is being held in Prison No. 5 in Turkmenbashi. According to a Froum 18 report, the Prosecutor's office said Kalataevsky has admitted his guilt.
His wife believes there is a connection between this arrest and past punishment. "They won't take into account that he was expelled across the border into Kazakhstan in 2001 as a punishment for preaching the Gospel," said Kalataevskaya. His arrest was part of a nationwide campaign to expel all foreign leaders within many religious communities.
Kalataevsky is a leading member of the illegal Council of Churches Baptist which refuses to register as a matter of principle. Turkmenistan is currently number 13 on Open Doors' World Watch List for Christian persecution.
