FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one's belief or religion
The right to join together and express one's belief
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Thursday
AZERBAIJAN: RAIDS ON MOSQUES, JAILINGS, FINES
Secret police, police and religious affairs officials raided and closed
another "illegal" mosque in Baku, complaining that young people "were
involved in religious ceremonies". The secret police are investigating the
owner. A Sheki court issued four one-month jailings and fines for protests
against a plan to turn a mosque into a museum.
AZERBAIJAN: RAIDS ON MOSQUES, JAILINGS, FINES
By Felix Corley, Forum 18
The State Security Service (SSS) secret police is investigating the leader
of an "illegal" mosque where religious education of young people also took
place. Officers raided and closed down the mosque in a joint operation in
the capital Baku in late April.
The SSS secret police, the police and the State Committee for Work with
Religious Organisations carried out two similar joint raids on mosques in
Baku's Khazar District in February. The local court subsequently fined the
two mosque leaders (see below).
A group of Muslims were punished in the northern city of Sheki for
protesting against the transformation of the city's historic Khan Mosque
into a museum. Four were given one month jail terms and nine in total were
fined (two of them twice), for both the protest and their community's
worship without state approval (see below).
A woman in Sheki was fined in February for unregistered worship (see
below).
No officials of the SSS secret police, the police or the State Committee
would explain why they raided places where people meet for worship.
The importance of the State Committee appears to be rising. Its head is
among other senior officials who have joined the Cabinet of Ministers,
while it is actively recruiting dozens of new staff (see below).
Strict controls
The government imposes severe controls on who is allowed to meet for
worship and where. All religious communities must have state registration
before they can legally function. However, many communities (like the
Baptist church in Aliabad) are arbitrarily denied such registration. Muslim
communities outside the framework of the state-backed Muslim Board are
banned, although this is not enshrined in any law (see Forum 18's
Azerbaijan religious freedom survey
<
Fines for "illegal" meetings for worship are typically 1,500 Manats (7,000
Norwegian Kroner, 740 Euros or 880 US Dollars). This represents nearly
three months' average wages for those with a formal job. However, for those
in rural areas, those without a formal job, or pensioners, such fines
represent a far heavier financial burden.
Officials from the police, State Security Service (SSS) secret police,
State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations, and Religious
Affairs Commissions attached to city or district administrations frequently
raid meetings for worship and help punish those exercising their right to
freedom of religion or belief (see F18News 18 December 2017
<
In contrast to earlier years, Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18 that so far
in 2018, officials have not raided their meetings or fined any of their
members. Police continue to detain individuals speaking about their faith
to others on the street, but are now releasing them after an hour or so
with no further charges, Jehovah's Witnesses added.
Qaradag District: Raid and closure of mosque, investigation
The State Security Service (SSS) secret police, the police and the State
Committee for Work with Religious Organisations launched a joint raid on a
mosque in a home in Baku's Qaradag District, the three agencies announced
on their websites on 23 April. The home in Shikhlar in the settlement of
Alat along the coast south of Baku is owned by Rahman Rahmanli.
The three agencies complained that young people "were involved in religious
ceremonies" at the unregistered "non-traditional" mosque. Officials seized
a large quantity of religious literature which they claim incited discord
and "properly documented violations of the law", the three agencies
declared. They ordered the mosque to stop functioning.
The mosque appears to be linked to a Naqshbandi Sufi community which draws
its inspiration from Mahmud Afandi (1810-77), a Muslim told Forum 18 from
Baku on 27 April.
The man who on 10 May answered the phone of Ali Ibrahimov, head of Qaradag
District Police, said no officers from the District Police took part in the
raid.
The SSS secret police launched an investigation into Rahmanli, the State
Committee noted. Forum 18 asked the official who answered the phone at the
SSS secret police press office on 3 May, who would not give his name, about
whether Rahmanli is being investigated on criminal or administrative
charges and why. "I don't know who you're talking about," the official
responded and put the phone down.
No administrative case against Rahmanli appears to have been lodged at
Qaradag District Court, court officials told Forum 18 on 8 May.
Officials at the Baku department of the State Committee told Forum 18 on 10
May that the head, Anar Kazimov, was on holiday. Officials refused to say
why they took part in a raid on a place of worship.
Asked on 8 May about the raid on the mosque in Rahmanli's home, Yusif
Nasibov, the head of the Religious Affairs Commission at Qaradag District
Administration, told Forum 18 he could not hear and put the phone down. All
Forum 18's subsequent calls went unanswered.
Khazar District: Mosque raid, fine
On 7 February, the SSS secret police, the police and the State Committee
for Work with Religious Organisations launched a joint raid on a mosque in
the settlement of Bina in Baku's Khazar District. They were joined by
officials from the religious department of Khazar District Administration.
The raid was launched to check for violations of the law, the State
Committee announced on its website the same day.
Officers said Valeh Bashirov had violated the law by leading religious
worship at the mosque without state registration. State Committee officials
prepared a case against him under Administrative Code Article 515.0.2.
Article 515.0.2 punishes "Violating legislation on holding religious
meetings, marches, and other religious ceremonies". The fine for
individuals for this "offence" is between 1,500 and 2,000 Manats. This is
equivalent to between three and four months' average wages for those in
formal work.
On 8 February, Judge Rashad Hasanov of Khazar District Court found Bashirov
guilty and fined him, court officials told Forum 18 on 3 May. However, they
refused to say how much Bashirov was fined.
Bashirov does not appear to have appealed against his fine to Baku Appeal
Court.
Khazar District: Another mosque raid, fine
On 22 February, the SSS secret police, the police and the State Committee
for Work with Religious Organisations launched a joint raid on the
unregistered Imam Zeynalabdin Mosque in the settlement of Buzovna in Baku's
Khazar District, the State Committee announced on its website the following
day. The raid was to check whether "illegal" worship was being held there.
Photographs issued by the State Committee show the house with a notice
outside clearly indicating that it is Imam Zeynalabdin Mosque, and the
prayer room inside.
Officers said Farhad Ahmadov had violated the law by leading religious
worship at the mosque without state registration. State Committee officials
prepared a case against him under Administrative Code Article 515.0.2
("Violating legislation on holding religious meetings, marches, and other
religious ceremonies").
On 26 February, Judge Rashad Hasanov of Khazar District Court found Ahmadov
guilty and fined him, court officials told Forum 18 on 3 May. However, they
refused to say how much Ahmadov was fined.
Ahmadov does not appear to have appealed against his fine to Baku Appeal
Court.
Sheki: Jailings, fines for protesting against mosque transfer
A group of Muslims were punished in the northern city of Sheki for
protesting against the transformation of the historic Khan Mosque into a
museum. Four were given one month jail terms and nine in total were fined
(two of them twice). The men had gathered at the Qishlaq Mosque (known
officially as Topqaragaj Mosque), Azadliq.info website noted on 23 January.
The men were part of the New Azeri Islamic Society which took over Sheki's
Khan Mosque in the early 1990s, renovated the building and held prayers
there. The community repeatedly rejected state attempts to pressure them
into seeking registration. It argued that state registration provided no
benefits for it. The city authorities have long sought to hand the building
to the Culture Department for use as a museum.
In a succession of cases on the evening of 23 January, Judges at Sheki
District Court fined the six men on charges of "hooliganism" under
Administrative Code Article 510, according to court records. Four of the
men - Jabir Latifov, Qazanfar Hajiyev, Yunus Mustafayev and Nazim Sadiqov -
were handed 30-day jail terms. Alfaddin Rizvanov and Shirin Aliyev were
each fined 200 Manats, Azadliq added.
In February and March, State Committee officials brought further charges
against the six and three other Muslims for holding meetings for worship
without state permission under several provisions of the Administrative
Code:
- Article 515.0.1, which punishes "A religious association's leader evading
registration of the association with the relevant executive authority
[State Committee]" with a fine for individuals of 1,500 to 2,000 Manats.
- Article 515.0.2, which punishes "Violating legislation on holding
religious meetings, marches, and other religious ceremonies". The fine for
individuals for this "offence" is between 1,500 and 2,000 Manats.
- Article 515.0.3, which punishes "clergy and members of religious
associations holding special meetings for children and young people, as
well as the organising or holding by religious bodies of organised labour,
literary, or other clubs and groups unassociated with holding religious
ceremonies" with fines for individuals of between 1,500 and 2,000 Manats.
It appears all nine Muslims were punished only under Article 515.0.2, with
Sheki District Court dismissing the other charges.
In separate hearings on 8 February, Judge Jahid Imanov fined Latifov and
Mustafayev, according to court records. On 19 February, the same Judge
fined Rizvanov. On 21 and 26 February, Judge Kamran Suleymanov fined Aliyev
and Hajiyev. On 14 March, the same Judge fined Sadiqov.
Judges fined three further Muslims - Badraddin Mammadov, Sadiq Abdullayev
and Shirin Bayramov - on 13 and 19 February and 14 March. Abdullayev's fine
was 1,500 Manats.
Abdullayev appealed against his fine. But on 16 March, Judge Imanverdi
Shukurov of Sheki Appeal Court rejected his appeal, according to the
decision seen by Forum 18.
All Forum 18's calls to Taleh Abdullayev, the regional representative for
the State Committee in Sheki who prepared the cases for court, went
unanswered on 10 May.
Sheki: Another fine for worship
On 25 January, Judge Elchin Mehdiyev of Sheki District Court found Vafa
Salamova guilty and fined her under Administrative Code Article 515.0.2
("Violating legislation on holding religious meetings, marches, and other
religious ceremonies").
Increased staff for State Committee - and power?
The State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations appears to be
gaining increased importance. Under a 23 April Decree signed by President
Ilham Aliyev, the State Committee Chair Mubariz Qurbanli was among 16
officials added to the Cabinet of Ministers.
The State Committee is also seeking to recruit a further 38 new staff. The
recruitment is being handled by the State Examination Centre. In its 2 May
announcement on its website, the Centre noted that the State Committee is
by far the government agency with the highest number of positions for which
it is seeking candidates.
The State Committee has in recent years been steadily building up its staff
at the head office in Baku, as well as in local branches, which now total
15. Local branches now employ a total of 86 officials, with most having 5,
according to the State Committee website. The Baku branch has 12, with
Sumgait [Sumqayit] and Gyanja [Gäncä] each having 8.
Despite its large staff, the State Committee managed to register 34 mosques
in 2017 and only 13 in 2018. Among non-Muslim communities, it registered
none in 2017 and only 3 (Seventh-day Adventists in Gyanja, New Apostolic
Church in Baku and Vineyard Protestant Church in Baku) in 2018. Many other
communities have waited in vain for registration for many years. (END)
For background information see Forum 18's Azerbaijan religious freedom
survey at
<
More coverage of freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Azerbaijan is
at
<
A compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments can be found at
<
For a personal commentary, by an Azeri Protestant, on how the international
community can help establish religious freedom in Azerbaijan, see
<
A printer-friendly map of Azerbaijan is available at
<
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All Forum 18 News Service material may be referred to, quoted from, or
republished in full, if Forum 18 is credited as the
source.
© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855.
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