Tag: Baku

‘Complex labyrinth of “legal” restrictions’ for religious communities in Azerbaijan

November 12, 2018 Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, Baku, Human rights, Religious freedom

Azerbaijan’s government continues to claim its “tolerance” but restrictions of freedom of religion and belief, censorship of religious literature and jail sentences for prisoners of conscience are ongoing, Forum 18 reports. According to Forum 18’s recent survey, the exercise of freedom of religion and belief in the country is impinged . . . Read More

Azerbaijan court turns down Baptist pastor’s appeal

February 13, 2018 Azerbaijan Aliabad, Azerbaijan, Baku, Hamid Shabanov

Hamid Shabanov in 2007. (Photo: World Watch Monitor)

Azerbaijan’s Constitutional Court in the capital, Baku, has informed Baptist pastor Hamid Shabanov that it will not be considering his appeal against a large fine for meeting for worship without state permission, reports regional news agency Forum 18. He cannot appeal to the higher Supreme Court because his offence was . . . Read More

Azerbaijan: ‘no fair trial’ for house-church leader appealing against fine

October 19, 2017 Azerbaijan Aliabad, Azerbaijan, Baku, Hamid Shabanov, House churches, Religious freedom

An Azerbaijani man fined for leading a “house church” without state permission has not been treated fairly during his appeal against the fine, a local source has told World Watch Monitor. The source, who wishes to remain anonymous, said there have been “multiple violations of law and process” against Hamid . . . Read More

Silence on human rights ‘deafening’ as Turkmenistan hosts Asian Games

September 15, 2017 Turkmenistan Ashgabat, Azerbaijan, Baku, Caucasus, Central Asia, Human rights, Turkmenistan

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) – and by virtue so too the International Olympic Committee – has come under fierce criticism for allowing Turkmenistan to stage the fifth Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, beginning this Sunday (17 September) in Ashgabat, while making “no visible efforts to urge the . . . Read More

Azerbaijan: Baptist pastor challenges state over constitutional right to worship

July 18, 2017 Azerbaijan Aliabad, Baku, Communism, Hamid Shabanov, House churches

A Baptist pastor who has led a “house church” in Azerbaijan for 25 years is to challenge his latest “offence”, citing the country’s constitutional rights, reports Forum 18. Hamid Shabanov, and another church member, Mehman Agamammadov, were each given the minimum fine of 1,500 manats (900 US dollars) for leading . . . Read More

Azerbaijanis fined and detained for selling religious books

May 24, 2017 Azerbaijan Baku, Caucasus, Censorship, Central Asia, House churches

New cases have emerged of Azerbaijanis facing heavy fines and imprisonment for trying to sell or distribute religious literature. The South Caucasus state, which supposedly allows religious freedoms under its secular constitution, has made it difficult in the past for Christians to practise their faith. In December 2016 two church . . . Read More

Central Asia in the spotlight as Azerbaijan hosts European Games

June 13, 2015 Ashgabat, Azerbaijan, Baku, Caucasus, Central Asia, Islam Karimov, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, London, Nursultan Nazarbayev, Saparmurat Niyazov, Soviet Union, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan

In a somewhat geographically and culturally challenging development, the first ever European Games begins today (13 June) in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is more usually identified as a Central Asian country, but the European Union considers it to be in what it calls its “European Neighbourhood” – what others . . . Read More

Appeals Judge in Azerbaijan to Decide Fate of Church

June 22, 2012 Azerbaijan Baku, Churches, Protestants

A Christian congregation in Azerbaijan is waiting pensively to see if a judge will uphold a court order that banned its right to meet and “liquidated” the church. “They are upset, but at the same time they continue coming out hoping for the best,” said Mechti Suleymanov, an elder at . . . Read More

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