The chief rabbi of Uzbekistan was stripped of his accreditation by government authorities.
Chabad Rabbi Abe Dovid Gurevich, who has lived in Tashkent since 1990, violated local registration rules and did not submit proper financial records, the Uzbek Justice Ministry said. Gurevich is also facing visa problems, Radio Free Europe reported.
Only a few thousand Jews remain in Uzbekistan. In 1998, the country abolished the Jewish community’s administrative office and seminary to train new rabbis.
State pressure against Jewish groups in the Central Asian nation is rare, but the denial of registration to religious groups occurs frequently. Gurevich’s secretary and her mother were murdered in June 2006; police ruled out anti-Semitic motives.
Chabad says it will continue to operate in Uzbekistan.
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