Contacting Congress on Makset’s behalf

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One of the best ways you can assist Makset is by contacting your US Representative and Senators.  The following letter(s) can used as a template and then sent from you via email or post. Additional instructions are below:

Template letter for your US Representative:

The Honorable [full name]
[Room #] [Name] House Office Building
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative:

I would like to request that you make inquiry with the US State Department on behalf of Pastor Makset Dzabberbergenov, who is being persecuted for his faith. Pastor Dzabberbergenov has been in detention in the Republic of Kazakhstan since September 5, 2012 and is under threat of extradition to Uzbekistan where he could face up to 9 years imprisonment.  According to the US State Department, Uzbekistan is a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act and Uzbek authorities have tortured religious prisoners and detainees.  For the past five years, Mr. Dzabberbergenov has been a refugee from his homeland of Uzbekistan because he is charged with holding “illegal” church meetings—a liberty that is enjoyed by all Americans and considered a basic human right in the international community.

Between 2008 and 2010, Mr. Dzabberbergenov lived in Almaty, Kazakhstan under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which granted him refugee status in 2009.  However, following a change of legislation in Kazakhstan, which granted the Kazakhstani government responsibility over all refugee cases, Mr. Dzabberbergenov’s refugee status was revoked.  For the past year and a half, Mr. Dzabberbergenov has appealed this decision through the legal system and in June 2012 his case reached the Kazakhstani Supreme Court.  Prior to any decision by the court, Mr. Dzabberbergenov was taken into custody.  To date, he has appeared once for an initial extradition hearing with a state appointed lawyer who had no experience in human rights law. Since then, while he has obtained the services of a lawyer familiar with such cases, however, he has not been allowed to see any representative of the UNHRC.  Because Mr. Dzabberbergenov is under threat of forced extradition and continuing religious persecution, we ask that he and his family of six be allowed to resettle in the United States.

As a constituent, I would ask that your office urge the US State Department to take the following steps to ensure:

• That Mr. Dzabberbergenov, under no circumstances, be extradited to Uzbekistan where he faces long-term imprisonment for his faith and even possible torture;
• That Mr. Dzabberbergenov be freed into the custody of a UNHCR representative; and
• That Mr. Dzabberbergenov and his entire family be allowed to enter the US Refugee Settlement program and that their resettlement to the United States be expedited.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter and thank you for taking a stand for religious freedom around the world.  For additional information on Mr. Dzabberbergenov’s case, please see https://freedomformakset.wordpress.com.

Sincerely,

[Your Name, Your Address]

Template letter for your US Senator:

The Honorable [full name]
[Room #] [Name] Senate Office Building
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator:

I would like to request that you make inquiry with the US State Department on behalf of Pastor Makset Dzabberbergenov, who is being persecuted for his faith. Pastor Dzabberbergenov has been in detention in the Republic of Kazakhstan since September 5, 2012 and is under threat of extradition to Uzbekistan where he could face up to 9 years imprisonment.  According to the US State Department, Uzbekistan is a “country of particular concern” under the International Religious Freedom Act and Uzbek authorities have tortured religious prisoners and detainees.  For the past five years, Mr. Dzabberbergenov has been a refugee from his homeland of Uzbekistan because he is charged with holding “illegal” church meetings—a liberty that is enjoyed by all Americans and considered a basic human right in the international community.

Between 2008 and 2010, Mr. Dzabberbergenov lived in Almaty, Kazakhstan under the protection of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which granted him refugee status in 2009.  However, following a change of legislation in Kazakhstan, which granted the Kazakhstani government responsibility over all refugee cases, Mr. Dzabberbergenov’s refugee status was revoked.  For the past year and a half, Mr. Dzabberbergenov has appealed this decision through the legal system and in June 2012 his case reached the Kazakhstani Supreme Court.  Prior to any decision by the court, Mr. Dzabberbergenov was taken into custody.  To date, he has appeared once for an initial extradition hearing with a state appointed lawyer who had no experience in human rights law. Since then, while he has obtained the services of a lawyer familiar with such cases, however, he has not been allowed to see any representative of the UNHRC.  Because Mr. Dzabberbergenov is under threat of forced extradition and continuing religious persecution, we ask that he and his family of six be allowed to resettle in the United States.

As a constituent, I would ask that your office urge the US State Department to take the following steps to ensure:

• That Mr. Dzabberbergenov, under no circumstances, be extradited to Uzbekistan where he faces long-term imprisonment for his faith and even possible torture;
• That Mr. Dzabberbergenov be freed into the custody of a UNHCR representative; and
• That Mr. Dzabberbergenov and his entire family be allowed to enter the US Refugee Settlement program and that their resettlement to the United States be expedited.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter and thank you for taking a stand for religious freedom around the world.  For additional information on Mr. Dzabberbergenov’s case, please see https://freedomformakset.wordpress.com.

Sincerely,

[ Your Name, Your Address]

Additional Instructions:

1. You can find out how to contact the US Representative from your district by, clicking here.  To find out how to contact your US Senators, click here.

2. Once you have their contact information you can go directly to your Congressperson’s website, click on the “Contact” link and email them directly from that site.  Copy and paste the template, put in the necessary information needed in the brackets [name, etc]. (Note: Even an email should have your Congressperson’s address in it).

3.  If you choose to send a letter by post, cut and paste the template into your word processor on your computer. Place the necessary information needed within the brackets. Print your letter and mail it with the appropriate postage.

4.  Feel free to provide additional comments beyond the template, however, do not change the basic facts concerning Makset’s case.  Also, please be courteous and to the point.  Long letters or emotion laden-letters will not accomplish our goals.  Do not send anonymous letters, make sure your contact information is included.  Finally, only send letters to your specific Representative or Senator, non-constituent letters have little or no impact.