Category: 2019

AGBU Press Office
55 East 59th Street
New York, NY 10022-1112
Website: www.agbu.org
  
PRESS RELEASE
  
Thursday, 
  
AGBU ORGANIZES OFFICIAL VISIT OF PRIME MINISTER PASHINYAN AND IT DELEGATION TO 
SILICON VALLEY
Leveraging its unique position in the epicenter of the high tech industry, with 
its concentrated community of IT professionals and transformational 
entrepreneurs, AGBU Silicon Valley paved the way for the first visit of 
Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his 20-member delegation to 
Silicon Valley on September 23rd. 
Armenia's leadership was on a special mission to achieve multiple objectives 
during their one-day, six-event visit to the world's mecca for science and 
innovation: To share Armenia's impressive IT success story with the industry's 
power elite; to gain insights on the trajectory of high tech innovation heading 
into the next decade; to engage with diasporan IT professionals in the area; 
and to conclude the signing of two MOU's designed to support Armenia's 
homegrown IT talent through education, training, and opportunities for direct 
engagement with the Silicon Valley community. 
Today, there are over a dozen successful tech companies, many incubated and 
nurtured in Armenia, with a presence in Silicon Valley-an expansionary 
phenomenon fueled, in part, by the early efforts of AGBU to help advance 
Armenia's IT capacity. Compared with a handful of tech companies that existed 
in Armenia in the early nineties, when AGBU first decided to plant a stake in 
the industries of tomorrow, there are now over 800 startup enterprises 
operating in country. These are in addition to some of the more mature 
enterprises, some of which were acquired by world-renowned multi-nationals. 
A day of discussion, discovery, and mutual intentions. 
For the better part of the day, Pashinyan and his team engaged in a series of 
back-to-back high-level meetings from closed-door one-on-ones to an interactive 
dialogues, along with product demos, educational tours, and business 
presentations in between. The entire itinerary was organized by AGBU Silicon 
Valley chapter under the leadership of its chair Dr. Yervant Zorian. A key 
figure in the Silicon Valley community in his own right, Dr. Zorian is not only 
the Chief Architect of Synopsys, Inc., but also serves as President of Synopsys 
Armenia, the parent company's second largest location in its 35-country R&D 
network, and the largest IT company in Armenia. He also happens to be the 
founder of the Armenian Virtual College (AVC), an AGBU signature institution, 
which is revolutionizing Armenian education around the world while poised to 
adapt its unique platform to advance education in Armenia's high schools and 
universities. Dr. Zorian currently serves on AGBU's central board. 
Agreement Signed with Venture Capitalist Tim Draper 
The official tour began with a meeting at the invitation of titan venture 
capital investor Tim Draper, founder of Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ), Draper 
University, Draper Venture Network and Draper Associates. Mr. Pashinyan, 
Minister of the High-Tech Industry Hakob Arshakyan, and select members of the 
delegation engaged in discussions leading to the signed MOU for a Draper 
University branch in Armenia. When established, it will provide the next 
generation of enterprising tech professionals in. Armenia with access to one of 
Silicon Valley's top entrepreneur training programs.  
Excursion to Computer History Museum and Apple Park
During the private talks, the rest of the delegation, including the spouse of 
Prime Minister Anna Hakobyan and Minister of Economy Tigran Khachatryan, took a 
side-tour to the nearby Computer History Museum and Apple Park. The visit was 
hosted by the leadership of the museum along with members of AGBU Silicon 
Valley and AGBU young professionals of Northern California. 
Demo and Meeting with Nvidia Leadership
Pashinyan's next stop was the headquarters of Nvidia Corporation, inventor of 
GPUs, which creates graphics processing units for gaming and professional 
markets, as well as a system on a chip units (SoCs) for the mobile computing 
and automotive sectors.  The Armenian delegation, eager to learn more about 
Nvidia's artificial intelligence capabilities, was fascinated by a demo of 
real-time virtual simulation based on machine learning which took place prior 
to a side meeting with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Mr. Pashinyan took that 
opportunity to extend a personal invitation to visit Armenia as a means to 
promote the country as a favorable and attractive location for R&D in 
artificial intelligence. 
Continuing the conversation at the Synopsys campus 
At the halfway point of their visit, the delegation headed to the Synopsys Inc. 
headquarters complex for three final engagements. First up was a meeting with 
Synopsys executives headed by Co-CEO Chi-Foon Chan to review the many 
innovations that this semi-conductor giant has brought to the industry and 
partake in boardroom discussions on the latest developments by Synopsys at 
large, and by Synopsys Armenia in particular, including its future expansion 
plans. The conversation then moved to another building on campus in which Mr. 
Pashinyan met with a group of a dozen high-tech executives, investors and 
academic leaders interested in pursuing a first-time involvement in the IT 
sector of Armenia. 
"The Armenian government has declared the technology sector a priority and, 
therefore, we prioritize our partnership with huge technological companies, 
such as Synopsys, "stated Prime Minister Pashinyan. "We are interested in 
attracting investments in the field of high technologies, creating jobs, and 
training specialists. We stand ready to promote this process with our 
government's toolkit intended to create a favorable ecosystem for technological 
startups and investments. Our government is ready to develop cooperation and 
exchange views on future joint action with Silicon Valley."
The tour culminated with the Armenia Tech Forum presided over by Dr. Zorian, PM 
Pashinyan, and the Minister of IT Arshakyan. The 140 representatives, mostly 
young professional Armenians from the tech community, were encouraged to engage 
in an open dialogue with the Prime Minister. Topics ranged from tech industry 
issues, the future of education and its deep impact on R&D, to post-revolution 
politics and Armenia's economic and business climate for startups. 
Announcement of the Virtual Bridge Concept
During the forum, Minister Arshakyan announced the finalization of an MOU 
between the ministry and AGBU Silicon Valley, whereby the chapter would be 
available to facilitate the creation of a dedicated facility for visiting tech 
professionals from Armenia setting up temporary residence to explore 
opportunities for venture capital, partnerships, and other collaborations with 
the local digerati. When implemented, the Virtual Bridge Project would 
facilitate stateside experiences by offering lodging, providing office space, 
and covering other logistical needs. 
"The Virtual Bridge is the first and largest project that will be done directly 
with the Diaspora," remarked Minister of the High Technology Sector Hakob 
Arshakyan. "It will allow the Armenian startup companies and entrepreneurs to 
visit Silicon Valley, participate in acceleration programs, and meet with 
venture capitalists."
The Virtual Bridge serves as a compelling reminder of just how far Armenia's IT 
sector has evolved since its early days of independence, when AGBU was the 
first to break ground in the development of the tech industry with the 
inception of advanced computer science retraining at the American University of 
Armenia (AUA) in the early nineties. 
These seminal initiatives helped set the foundation for the next phase of 
development with the introduction of Silicon Valley startups establishing R&D 
in Armenia, often facilitated by well-connected Diasporan leaders in the tech 
industry. That period was followed by an era of acquisition, whereby a number 
of such startups were acquired by multi-national corporations. These 
developments combined have led up to the coinage of the term "Start Up Armenia" 
as an apt descriptor of the nation in a 21st century context. 
While the arc from startup infancy to high tech mastery can be traced to AGBU's 
longstanding commitment to the IT sector, it also makes the case for why 
Armenia's government has decided to put most of its chips on technology as the 
primary driver of the economy, ahead of agriculture and tourism. Since the 
Velvet Revolution, Armenia's leadership has repeatedly stated that the Armenian 
Diaspora plays a vital role in ensuring Armenia's competitiveness in shaping 
the technologies of the future and expanding its footprint in the high-tech 
arena.  AGBU Silicon Valley will no doubt be instrumental in bringing that 
vision to pass.
Reflecting on AGBU's commitment to Armenia's IT sector, Dr. Zorian stated: "For 
decades, AGBU Silicon Valley, with its deep ties to this center of innovation, 
has been ideally situated to support the IT sector in Armenia. This time, 
organizing the Prime Minister's visit here represents another step toward 
strengthening the synergistic bond between Silicon Valley and the IT sector in 
Armenia, especially after the government announced it was a sector of priority."
  
The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) is the world's largest non-profit 
organization devoted to upholding the Armenian heritage through educational, 
cultural and humanitarian programs. Each year, AGBU is committed to making a 
difference in the lives   of 500,000 people across Armenia, Artsakh and the 
Armenian diaspora.  Since 1906, AGBU has remained true to one overarching goal: 
to create a foundation for the prosperity of all Armenians. To learn more visit 
www.agbu.org.

                                        Thursday, 
Former Police Chief Also Charged Over 2008 Crackdown
        • Naira Bulghadarian
Amenia - The national police chief, Alik Sargsian, argues with protesters 
outside the prime minister's office in Yerevan, 01Sep2011.
Alik Sargsian, a former chief of the Armenian police, has been charged with 
covering up what law-enforcement authorities now describe as security forces’ 
illegal post-election crackdown on opposition protesters in Yerevan in 2008.
Sargsian was named to run the national police service shortly after former 
President Robert Kocharian handed over power to Serzh Sarkisian, his preferred 
successor and the official winner of a disputed presidential election held in 
February 2008. Sarkisian took office in April 2008 just over a month after 
violent street clashes in Yerevan which left eight protesters and two police 
personnel dead.
The Special Investigative Service (SIS) said on Wednesday evening that later in 
2008 two aides to the new Armenian president ordered senior police officers, 
including Alik Sargsian, to destroy evidence of the “overthrow of the 
constitutional order” led by Kocharian.
An SIS statement claimed that the officers forged and backdated documents 
justifying the use of force against supporters of opposition presidential 
candidate Levon Ter-Petrosian, who staged daily demonstrations against alleged 
vote rigging. It said they also helped to cover up the Armenian army’s alleged 
involvement in the crackdown which investigators say was illegal.
Sargsian, who headed the police until 2011, flatly denied the accusations of 
abuse of power, forgery and cover-up leveled against him. “I have nothing to do 
with the March 1 [2008 events,]” said the retired police general who served as 
a provincial governor during the deadly violence.
Sargsian, who was not arrested despite facing the grave charges, said he will 
not hire a lawyer for now. “I don’t yet feel the need to have a defender,” he 
said.
One of the presidential aides mentioned in the SIS statement, Gevorg Kostanian, 
was subsequently appointed as Armenia’s prosecutor-general, while the other, 
Gevorg Mherian, became a deputy chief of the national police. Mherian was shot 
dead by an unknown gunman in February 2009. Nobody has been prosecuted in 
connection with his murder.
The SIS did not indict Kostanian, who was elected to Armenia’s former 
parliament in 2017 on the then ruling Republican Party’s ticket. Kostanian on 
Thursday dismissed the “nonsensical” allegations made by the law-enforcement 
body investigating the dramatic events of February-March 2008.
The SIS statement came two days after Alik Sargsian’s predecessor as police 
chief, Hayk Harutiunian, was found shot to death in his home. Law-enforcement 
authorities suggested that he committed suicide.
Harutiunian was repeatedly interrogated by investigators as a witness in the 
case. The SIS claimed on Wednesday that he too had signed “official documents 
containing false information and records” about the 2008 crackdown.
Two Armenian news websites reported on Tuesday that moments before his death 
Harutiunian complained that he is being pressured by the authorities to give 
false incriminating testimony against Kocharian. Law-enforcement officials 
denied those reports.
Kocharian is currently under arrest, standing trial, along with three other 
former officials, on coup charges. He rejects them as politically motivated.
Pashinian Slams ‘Former Corrupt Elites’ In UN Speech
U.S. -- Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian speaks during the 74th Session 
of the General Assembly at the United Nations headquarters in New York, 
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian accused Armenia’s former rulers of trying to 
obstruct his anti-corruption efforts and spreading “fake news” when he 
addressed the UN General Assembly late on Wednesday.
“Our democratic transformation and zero tolerance policy against corruption are 
not without resistance from former corrupted elites,” Pashinian said in a 
speech. “Their vast financial resources are directed at escaping justice. Our 
government has not pursued a single case of redistribution of property. At the 
same time our resolve to press with reforms and justice is unwavering.”
“Our mass media is completely free from government control or interference,” he 
went on. “However, some of them are not free from meddling and control from the 
same old circles of former government, fabricating fake news and spreading 
mistrust in the public about the origins and purposes of the Velvet Revolution.”
Meeting with Armenian Americans in New York earlier in the day, Pashinian 
pointed to several former officials, including a brother of former President 
Serzh Sarkisian, who have been charged with corruption since he swept to power 
in the April-May 2018 revolution.
Armen Ashotian, the deputy chairman of Sarkisian’s Republican Party of Armenia 
(HHK), denounced Pashinian on Thursday for bringing up domestic political 
issues at the UN body.
“Nikol is a rare leader who has used the UN rostrum for his internal political 
agenda,” said Ashotian. “For example, it didn’t occur to [U.S. President 
Donald] Trump to attack the Democrats who have launched impeachment proceedings 
against him.”
“I hope that another person will speak on behalf of our country at the UN next 
year,” he wrote on Facebook.
Ashotian and other HHK figures reacted in a similar fashion after Pashinian 
branded Sarkisian and his relatives a “professionally corrupt family” and said 
they “must return what they plundered” at a September 22 news conference in Los 
Angeles.
In the 30-minute UN speech, Pashinian also said that his government is 
committed to “advance democracy and reforms” but needs greater international 
assistance in that endeavor.
“We need to have access to international best practices to save time and 
resources,” he said. “We need to avoid the mistakes previously made by other 
democracies to make our democratic reforms more fruitful and efficient.”
Luxury Hotel ‘Donated’ To Armenian Government
        • Naira Nalbandian
Armenia -- The Golden Palace hotel in Tsaghkadzor.
The Armenian government completed on Thursday the nationalization of a luxury 
hotel handed over to it by a former senior official facing a corruption 
investigation.
The Golden Palace hotel located in the resort town of Tsaghkadzor has until now 
belonged to Armen Avetisian, a former chief of the Armenian customs service, 
and his family. They offered to donate it to the state last November after the 
National Security Service (NSS) moved to prosecute Avetisian for illegal 
entrepreneurship and money laundering.
The NSS claimed in October 2018 that Avetisian financed the construction of a 
similar five-star hotel in Yerevan when he headed the State Customs Committee 
(SCC) from 2001-2008. The financing was carried out through an obscure company 
registered in Cyprus and falsely presented as foreign investment, it said.
It remains unclear whether Avetisian was formally charged afterwards.
In February this year, the then NSS director, Artur Vanetsian, said that the 
Tsaghkadzor hotel’s transfer to the state is “in progress.”
The government completed that process at a weekly meeting chaired by Deputy 
Prime Minister Tigran Avinian. The latter said that the government should 
decide before the end of this year what to do with the presently disused 
property.
Armenia’s State Property Management Committee estimates the hotel’s market 
value at around $16.5 million. The head of the government agency, Narek 
Babayan, said some investors have already offered to buy it at a higher price.
“But I believe that an auction would be the best option in case of a sale [of 
the hotel,]” Babayan told reporters after the cabinet meeting.
The NSS launched the investigation into Avetisian shortly Vanetsian alleged 
that former President Robert Kocharian and his family accumulated hundreds of 
millions of dollars worth of assets when he ruled Armenia from 1998-2008.
Kocharian dismissed the allegations, challenging law-enforcement authorities to 
prove them. In an August 2018 interview, he also insisted that Avetisian did 
not make a huge personal fortune while in office.
The former customs chief faced corruption allegations by opposition figures and 
media throughout his tenure.
Press Review
“Haykakan Zhamanak” deplores opposition “propaganda manipulations” of Prime 
Minister Nikol Pashinian’s latest remark that a Karabakh settlement must be 
acceptable to the peoples of not only Armenia and Karabakh but also Azerbaijan. 
The pro-Pashinian paper says that a more intransigent statement by Pashinian 
would simply make no sense because no Karabakh peace accord can be put into 
practice without being signed by Azerbaijan. “In other words, a variant 
satisfying all three conflicting parties is the only way to resolve the 
conflict,” it says.
Lragir.am comments on investigators’ latest allegations of an official cover-up 
of the 2008 crackdown on the Armenian opposition and resulting criminal charges 
brought against Alik Sargsian, a former chief of the Armenian police. The 
publication draws parallels between Sargsian’s denial of the charges and former 
President Robert Kocharian’s claims that he was not aware of controversial 
orders issued to Armenia’s police and army in February-March 2008. It also 
says: “The current investigation has not yet found the answer to the main 
question: the circumstances of the killings of ten persons.”
“Zhamanak” comments on Pashinian’s repeated statements to the effect that his 
government is seeking the “truth” about the Amulsar gold mining project 
disrupted more than a year ago. The paper says that Pashinian is thus trying to 
“win time in a difficult situation.” “It does not matter for which solution [he 
is doing that] because either solution would cause a great deal of resistance 
which would have to be overcome,” it says, adding that the challenger for the 
Armenian government is to determine which decision on the future of the project 
would be a lesser evil.
(Lilit Harutiunian)
Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2019 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

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
=================================================
Friday 
AZERBAIJAN: Large fine amid continuing religious censorship
A Baku court fined Kamran Huseynzade four months' average wages for selling
religious books outside a mosque without state permission. The head of the
censorship department at the State Committee for Work with Religious
Organisations lamented that only 42 of 100 places selling religious
literature have the required state licence. All published and imported
religious literature is subject to prior compulsory censorship.
AZERBAIJAN: Large fine amid continuing religious censorship
By Felix Corley, Forum 18
Amid the continuing imposition of state censorship of all religious
literature published and distributed in Azerbaijan or imported into it, a
court in the capital Baku has handed down another large fine for selling
religious literature without state permission. A judge fined Kamran
Huseynzade about four months' average wages. The 180 books seized from him
were confiscated.
Huseynzade faced charges not related to the content of the books but solely
to offering the books for sale without state permission. He chose not to
appeal against his fine (see below).
The head of the department that censors religious literature and objects at
the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations, Nahid Mammadov,
lamented at a conference on state censorship on 23 September that only 42
of the more than 100 shops selling religious literature across the country
have the required state licence. He complained that the unlicensed shops
"create certain problems" (see below).
Mammadov was not in the office at the State Committee on 27 September. One
of his colleagues put the phone down when Forum 18 asked why all religious
literature is subject to prior compulsory state censorship (see below).
When police detain Jehovah's Witnesses on the street as they share their
faith with others, officers often seize any religious literature they find.
Similarly, during raids on Jehovah's Witness meetings in homes, police
often check whether religious publications have the required sticker from
the State Committee showing that they have undergone the state religious
censorship (see below).
Muslim theologian Elshad Miri is preparing to lodge a case to the European
Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in October over the 2018 State
Committee ban on the publication of one of his books on Islam. Four
Jehovah's Witness cases over state bans on the import of their literature
are still pending with the court, as is a case lodged by Muslims who study
the works of the late Turkish Muslim theologian Said Nursi (see below).
Complete religious literature censorship
All religious literature produced in, published in (including on the
internet) or imported into Azerbaijan is subject to prior compulsory
censorship 
(
 ). If the
State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations "Religious Expert
Analysis [Censorship] Department" gives permission to publish or import a
work, it also specifies how many copies can be produced or imported. All
religious materials sold must have a sticker (each costing 0.02 Manats)
stating that they have State Committee approval.
State officials have repeatedly denied that this is censorship.
"One of the main directions of our activity is to prevent the spread of
unauthorised religious literature," a Deputy Chair of the State Committee,
Siyavush Heydarov, stated in January 2017.
(
 )
The Old Testament, the 14-volume "Risale-i Nur" (Messages of Light)
collection of writings by the late Turkish theologian Said Nursi, and
several Jehovah's Witness publications were included on a 2014 police list
of alleged "banned" religious literature
(
 ), based on State
Committee "expert analyses".
In May 2018 a State Committee official confirmed to Forum 18 that it does
not make public lists of religious publications it has banned.
(
 )
Religious literature and other materials can be sold or distributed only at
specialised outlets which have been approved both by the State Committee
and the local administration. People who sell religious literature and
materials without such permission are routinely fined, with the materials
being seized.
Raids on shops selling religious literature were frequent, with several
waves of raids and subsequent fines in 2017 and 2018
(
 ). They appear to have
reduced since then.
Baku: Raid, fine, book confiscation
Trouble began for Kamran Huseynzade in early July, when State Committee
officials and officers of the police and State Security Service secret
police raided a mosque in the settlement of Qarachukhur in Baku's Surakhani
District, the State Committee noted on its website on 5 July. They found
Huseynzade selling religious books on the street outside the mosque.
Officials seized 180 religious items, taking them away for "expert
analysis", the State Committee added. It stressed that the books were
seized "to determine whether the legal requirements related to the sale of
literature and literature dealing with the production and sale of these
literature, as well as their control stickers were being observed".
The State Committee also claimed that the books were "suspected of
propagating religious radicalism and extremism".
State Committee officials appear to have found no "religious radicalism and
extremism". When the case was presented to Baku's Surakhani District Court,
Huseynzade faced charges not related to the content of the books but solely
to offering the books for sale without state permission under
Administrative Code Article 516.0.2.
Administrative Code Article 516.0.2 punishes "Selling religious literature
(printed or on electronic devices), audio and video materials, religious
merchandise and products, or other religious informational materials, which
have been authorised for sale under the Religion Law, outside specialised
sale outlets established with the permission of the relevant government
authority distributing religious literature, religious objects and
information material without State Committee permission".
Punishments are: for individuals fines of between 2,000 and 2,500 Manats;
for officials fines of between 8,000 and 9,000 Manats; for organisations
fines of between 20,000 and 25,000 Manats; and for foreigners and stateless
persons fines of between 2,000 and 2,500 Manats with deportation from
Azerbaijan. Punishment also includes confiscation of the literature,
merchandise and products or other materials concerned.
On the morning of 23 July, Judge Jeyhun Qadimov of Surakhani District Court
found Huseynzade guilty under Administrative Code Article 516.0.2. He fined
him 2,200 Manats, the Judge's assistant told Forum 18. The assistant said
Huseynzade did not appeal against the decision. The assistant declined to
comment on why an individual should be punished for offering religious
literature and items for sale without state permission.
A fine of 2,200 Manats represents four months' average wage for those in
formal work.
Police seize religious literature
When police detain Jehovah's Witnesses on the street as they share their
faith with others, they often seize any religious literature they find.
Jehovah's Witnesses note 17 such detentions between September 2018 and
August 2019 in Baku and eight other cities or towns.
Two police officers who detained a Jehovah's Witness on the streets of the
north-eastern town of Khachmaz in February 2019 forcibly took him to the
police station, Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18. A State Committee
official asked him why he was talking about the Bible and not the Koran.
Officers seized his religious literature, threatened to have him fined,
held him for 12 hours without food or water, mocked his beliefs, forced him
to write two statements and then freed him. During his detention, one
police officer threatened to beat him.
During raids on Jehovah's Witness meetings in homes, police often check
whether religious publications have the required sticker from the State
Committee showing that they have undergone the state religious censorship.
On 23 June, three police officers in the north-western town of Mingachevir
tried to search the home of a Jehovah's Witness where other Jehovah's
Witnesses had gathered. They took the names of those present, but when they
tried to search the home without a warrant the home owner refused to allow
it. The officers left, saying they would return with a warrant. They did
not return, Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18.
On 4 June, Shirvan Appeal Court rejected the appeals of both a husband and
wife against massive fines for having religious literature and holding a
New Year meeting for children without state permission.
(
 ) A local court had
fined Baptist couple Safqan and Gulnar Mammadov each more than three
months' average wages for those in formal work.
Challenging state bans
In February 2018, the State Committee imposed the pre-publication ban on
the publication and distribution in Azerbaijan of Muslim theologian Elshad
Miri's book "Things Not Existing in Islam".
(
 ) The book covers seven
of what Miri regards as myths about what Islam teaches. Chapters include
"There is no magic in Islam" and "There is no child marriage in Islam".
The State Committee banned Miri's book because a State Committee official
disagreed with the book theologically. Replying, Miri told the State
Committee that "it is not correct to ban a book I wrote in a country which
does not [officially] have censorship".
Miri has been seeking to overturn the State Committee's ban on his book
through the courts. On 25 June 2019, Azerbaijan's Supreme Court rejected
his appeal against the state.
(
 )
Miri is now preparing a case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR)
in Strasbourg. The case is expected to be lodged in October, his lawyer
Khalid Agaliyev told Forum 18 from Baku on 27 September.
Jehovah's Witnesses say the State Committee has not banned the import of
any of their publications since November 2015 and has not restricted the
sale of control stickers.
Jehovah's Witnesses have lodged four cases to the European Court of Human
Rights in Strasbourg over earlier state bans on importing their
publications 
(
 ) and one
complaint to the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
Muslims who read the works of the late Turkish Muslim theologian Said Nursi
also lodged a case to the European Court of Human Rights in 2012 over state
censorship of religious literature
(
 ) after police seized
books in a raid. That case too is still pending.
State celebrates religious censorship
The State Committee held a conference in Baku on 23 September entitled
"Religious Expert Analysis: Law and Practice", it announced on its website
the same day. Also taking part were publishers, as well as representatives
of the Spiritual Values Promotion Foundation (which is subject to the State
Committee) and the state-controlled Caucasian Muslim Board, the only Muslim
organisation the government allows to exist.
State Committee Deputy Chair Gunduz Ismayilov told the conference that
"harmful literature" was rarely encountered because of the law mandating
censorship and the "close cooperation" between the State Committee and
publishers and authors.
Nahid Mammadov, the head of the State Committee's "Religious Expert
Analysis" (Censorship) Department, claimed the state censorship was in line
with international practice. He claimed that censorship also protected
against piracy and tax evasion.
He maintained that the control stickers enhance trust in religious
literature. "Every citizen reads religious literature with the appropriate
sticker and refuses any other literature offered to them," the State
Committee website cited him as saying. "It also means that our citizen,
without knowing the contents of the book, will be able to determine whether
the text of the book is malicious thanks to the control sticker."
Mammadov also told the conference that 42 shops across the country have the
required state licence to sell religious books and items, though more than
100 exist. He complained that the unlicensed shops "create certain
problems", though he does not appear to have specified what these are.
Mammadov said that the State Committee had banned the import of 63 out of
1,603 publications in 2017; 52 out of 1,704 in 2018; and 158 out of 2,412
in January to September 2019. The State Committee had banned the
publication in Azerbaijan of 4 out of 214 publications in 2017; 26 out of
197 in 2018; and 17 out of 192 in January to September 2019. (END)
Full reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Azerbaijan
(
 )
For more background, see Forum 18's Azerbaijan religious freedom survey
(
 )
Forum 18's compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments
(
 )
A printer-friendly map of Azerbaijan
(
 )
Follow us on Twitter @Forum_18 
(
 )
Follow us on Facebook @Forum18NewsService
(
 )
All Forum 18 text may be referred to, quoted from, or republished in full,
if Forum 18 is credited as the source.
All photographs that are not Forum 18's copyright are attributed to the
copyright owner. If you reuse any photographs from Forum 18's website, you
must seek permission for any reuse from the copyright owner or abide by the
copyright terms the copyright owner has chosen.
© Forum 18 News Service. All rights reserved. ISSN 1504-2855.
=================================================
SUBSCRIBE 
  and enter your e-mail
address for either the full or the weekly edition.
- Or send an empty e-mail to (for the full edition):
[email protected]
(for the weekly edition):
[email protected]
UNSUBSCRIBE 
  and enter your e-mail
address for either the full or the weekly edition.
- Or send an empty e-mail to (for the full edition):
[email protected]
(for the weekly edition):
[email protected]
=================================================
If you need to contact F18News, please email us at:  
f18news @ editor.forum18.org
Forum 18
Postboks 6603
Rodeløkka
N-0502 Oslo
NORWAY
=================================================