Members of the Hare Krishna community in Kazakhstan face the imminent threat that the government will seize their property and demolish their homes.

Apparently on trumped-up legal grounds, a regional court in the central Asian republic of Kazakhstan has ordered the seizure of the homes and property of the members of the Hare Krishna community on the outskirts of the country’s commercial capital, Almaty. On April 25, court officers showed up with police and bulldozers to evict the devotees and demolish their homes.

The devotees, notified only the night before, ranged themselves in the path of the bulldozers, peacefully protested, and obliged the police and officers to call off their attempt. The police and officers, however, promised to return “when you don’t expect us.”

For further details, you can read a report from Forum 18, the Oslo-based religious rights organization.