Location: Turkmenistan
Arrested: August 2010
Days Imprisoned: 378

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Pentecostal pastor Ilmurad Nurliev was arrested at his home in Mary in southeastern Turkmenistan on Aug. 27, 2010. He was charged with extracting money from three people. His wife, Maya, and his church members strongly deny the allegations. “All this is being done because of his faith,” said Maya. During his trial, several of the witnesses against the 45-year-old pastor were coerced into testifying.

Pastor Nurliev was sentenced to four years in prison, and his wife was forced to pay “compensation” immediately, or risk being kicked out of their home. Pastor Nurliev was also ordered to undergo “forcible medical treatment” to “wean him off his narcotic dependency,” another claim that his wife and church members reject. 

In December 2010, Pastor Nurliev was transferred to Seyi Labor Camp, known for its use of psychotropic drugs on prisoners. A former prisoner in the camp described conditions “like something from the Middle Ages.” 

The pastor is a diabetic, and his family is concerned about his health while he is in prison. He has no access to medical treatment. 

Instead of working in the labor camp's brick kiln, the pastor is being permitted to work at his trade as a barber, serving both prisoners and camp staff. Prison authorities have denied Pastor Nurliev a Bible.

Pastor Ilmurad Not Included in Amnesty
Family and friends of Pastor Ilmurad were disappointed in late August when the president did not include the pastor in what has become an annual amnesty of prisoners. His wife, Maya, had especially hoped he would be freed. She is "so disappointed," a friend told Forum 18 News. "She sits at home and cries."

Family and friends were heartened, however, to hear that the pastor had finally been treated for his diabetes -- for the first time since his arrest a year ago. 

Friends also said Maya has been able to visit her husband on approved visiting days.