Azerbaijan

Two Baptists in Azerbaijan had been punished for exercising their right to religious freedom have had their fines overturned. They had violated Article 299.0.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences which punishes "clergy and religious associations holding special religious meetings for children and young people, as well as the holding by religious bodies of literature circles or other specialised groups.”  Though the fines are overturned, they are still not allowed to meet together for worship, as the country has refused them registration.

Officials in Azerbaijan routinely confiscate religious books that are on a mysterious “banned list” that the public is yet to see. While they claim that the Bible and Quran are not on that list, a plethora of other religious materials are considered illegal. The list is apparently finally ready to be published. It remains to be seen if that will in fact happen. Religious books being on Azerbaijan’s “banned list” is an infringement on the religious minorities rights to freedom in that country.

Two Baptists, previously fined for holding an “unregistered religious meeting” in their home, are rejoicing as the fines have been overturned. Despite this victory, the government continues to refuse their application for registration and they still have no legal right to meet for worship.

Two Baptist pastors were fined a year’s average wage in Azerbaijan for “exercising their right to freedom of religion,” Forum 18 News Service reports. The pastors had previously served prison terms for their faith while their church has been denied legal status by the government for nearly two decades.

Despite the guarantee of freedom of religion in the constitution, Christians in Azerbaijan struggle to practice their faith.  It’s nearly impossible to gain a registration making a religious organization legal, forcing many believers to practice their faith illegally. It seems their constitutional rights are not well protected. Especially when police and other officials have warned pastors, “It’s illegal to spread the teachings of Jesus in Azerbaijan.”

Bibles and other religious materials were confiscated from two Baptists homes in what appears to be a strategic raid by police, many of whom were in civilian clothes. Officers presented Christians in both homes with search warrants while telling them they had been meeting to worship illegally in their homes. The heads of both homes were men that had previously been “prisoners of conscience”, imprisoned for practicing their faith. It is unclear as to what prompted the raid or if any of the materials, including Bibles in various languages, will be returned.

While claiming, “censorship has been abolished” in Azerbaijan, authorities confiscated 120 items of religious material, as well as a vehicle from three Baptists.  The event occurred after it was discovered that the three had shared their belief in a nearby village. Finally, five months later the vehicle has been returned. However, the case is still open against the three and their religious material has not been returned.

At the end of September a family was stopped at the border of Azerbaijan when they were on their return from Russia. The family was held for more than six hours as secret police searched the car, questioned them and had them fill out paperwork. The family had their religious material and vehicle confiscated. This is the most recent incidence, but it caught the attention of the OSCE who has criticized Azerbaijan for their Religion Laws, which do not meet human rights standards.

This article is quite interesting to read. At first glance it seems that the Azerbaijani in this forum discussion would support Freedom of Religion. Look a little closer however, and you will see the underlying tone that implies Christians, and other religions should be “restrained.” He even went so far as to say, “It is something very difficult to accept when people insult my prophet or my religious values…When such things happen, he said, ‘there will be a backlash … and that’s why people attack ambassadors.’” He also implies that Muslims don’t cause problems to Christians, saying: “Have you ever heard of the Bible being burned in any Muslim countries?” Read to find out a Christian missionaries response to that one!

Christians in Azerbaijan continue to fight the closure of their church.

A church that was legally registered by the state since 1993 was forced to re-register in 2009. They were denied their re-registration (getting a legal registration is nearly impossible) and told they would have to liquidate and cease all religious activities. They’ve been fighting it in court, but lost. The church plans to take this to Azerbaijan’s Supreme Court.

Azerbaijan claims religious freedom, but forces people of religion to jump through ridiculous hoops in order to gather for worship, even if they are gathering in their own homes. In this case, a church was “liquidated” when they failed to “apply for compulsory re-registration following the changes to the Religion Law in 2009.” This article discusses the case the church is making to appeal the liquidation, saying, “State Committee's liquidation demand is based on the personal prejudicial attitude of its legal specialist, Sabina Allahverdieva."

In two separate incidents Baptists in Azerbaijan were detained for sharing their faith and Christian literature. All six Baptists have been threatened with criminal charges. No action has been taken against them as of yet. In the mean time they are “continuing to pray and write appeals."   In both situations their rights to religious freedom were infringed upon.

In Azerbaijan you have to have permission from the government to distribute religious materials. They have “special stores” where those types of things can be purchased, and you have to jump through several hoops to even get materials approved. In this case, three Baptists were detained for sharing their faith and handing out religious material. They were interrogated at the police station and their passports, religious material and car were confiscated. Though they are now home, they are awaiting the final decision as to their fate. This is a blatant violation of their religious freedoms. Situations like this should not be happening.

Churches in Azerbaijan are required to register with the government in order to meet, and only two have had their registrations approved. In what appears to be a technicality, a Christian congregation is now awaiting their appeal to a court order “order that banned its right to meet and “liquidated” the church.”  If the court does not rule in their favor, though they have been meeting for nearly 20 years, they will have no right to assemble and any continued meet-ups will be deemed illegal.

Azerbaijan’s vague religious laws leave too much room for persecution. While the police deny doing raids at all, many have happened in recent months. Children and their parents are held for questioning while police demand that notarized, signed parental consent is necessary for the children to be at church. This article documents a few of the most recent cases.

“A court in the Azerbaijani capital Baku has ruled to liquidate the Greater Grace Protestant Church,” Forum 18 News Service reports.

“A court in Azerbaijan's capital Baku is likely to decide on 19 April whether Greater Grace Protestant Church should be liquidated, a court official told Forum 18 News Service after the latest hearing on 12 April.”

“Muslim and Christian meetings in Azerbaijan continue to face raids involving the ordinary police, NSM secret police, and officials of the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations,” Forum 18 News Service reports.

“Azerbaijan's State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations has moved to close down Greater Grace Church in the capital Baku for failing to regain the compulsory re-registration,” Forum 18 News Service reports.