Mafia state

Kazakhstan: A booming oil economy, a U.S. security ally, but behind the scenes former Soviet republic plays police state | James Elliot

Alexander Natruskin/AFP/Getty Images

ALMATY, Kazakhstan— Last month, police and state security forces subjected Grace Church of Almaty to a 17-hour raid, confiscating computer hardware and Christian literature. State-run media alleged that the church was engaged in espionage, financial impropriety, and possession of drugs.

Following this raid, workers from a state-controlled TV station visited a local seminary founded by missionaries. The station engaged in a similar smear campaign, falsifying statements of those interviewed and accusing the seminary of attempting to brainwash people. The seminary is currently being investigated by Kazakhstan prosecutors, and it faces possible fines along with being forcibly closed down.

This is a pattern across Kazakhstan, the former Soviet republic made infamous in the movie Borat, a self-proclaimed democracy that claims to be a key ally to the United States in the war on terror. One of the top 10 fastest-growing economies in the world with vast energy resources, Kazakhstan has lured billions of dollars in American aid and investment to help rebuild its economy after the collapse of the Soviet Union. But behind the scenes, the reality is different.