Almaty (Kazakhstan): A court has ordered the confiscation of land used by Kazakhstan's Hare Krishna community (ISKCON), ruling in favour of local authorities in a legal dispute that Krishnas have called religious persecution, the community's spokesman said on Wednesday.
The Karasai district court decision, announced on Tuesday in the absence of the Krishnas' representatives, means that district authorities are now one legal step away from expelling the community after an almost three-year long battle, spokesman Maxim Varfolomeyev said.
District authorities are now expected to ask the Supreme Court to overturn its 2005 decision that allowed Krishnas to continue to use the 48-hectare plot near the commercial capital Almaty despite the ongoing dispute.
Varfolomeyev said the community would appeal the Karasai court decision, but added that "this appears to be an end."
A government commission earlier dismissed the Krishnas' claims of religious persecution, saying the dispute was the result of gross violations of land and religion laws. The Hare Krishna community denies breaking property laws.
The community members have also been battling individual legal actions against them over alleged illegal privatisation of their cottages.
Under court orders, labourers with crowbars and bulldozers destroyed the community's 13 country houses on November 21, while police prevented community members from interfering.
The dispute has attracted the attention of foreign diplomats. The US Embassy expressed concern about the legality of razing the houses and urged Kazakh authorities to end what it called an "aggressive" campaign against Hare Krishna followers.
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