Source: www.forum18.org
Date: July 29, 2025
https://www.forum18.org/archiv
By Felix Corley, Forum 18
A court in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan handed large fines on 19
June to three visitors from the registered Vineyard Christian Church in
Baku and two local people for meeting for worship without state permission.
The fines represent up to three months' average wage each. About 20
officers of the police and possibly the State Security Service secret
police raided a meeting for Sunday worship in a home in April. The visitors
were then detained with no food for two days and questioned.
The court also fined members of a Korean family who allowed the meetings in
their home. It appears they were fined and then deported.
The Court held multiple hearings in the cases. This meant that the three
from Baku had to make repeated visits to Nakhichevan, which is accessible
from Baku only by air. "This is expensive and flight tickets are difficult
to find," an individual who knows the situation told Forum 18. "When they
reached the court each time they found the hearing had been postponed" (see
below).
The three visitors from Baku and the two local residents chose not to
appeal against the fines. "As the leader of the group acknowledged
responsibility for the books in the Koreans' home, the court decisions were
in line with the law," the individual familiar with the cases told Forum
18. Nevertheless, the individual recognised that the fines are so large
that the five will struggle to be able to pay them (see below).
In July, court bailiffs started calling the two people from Nakhichevan,
demanding that they pay the large fines.
The telephone at Nakhichevan City Court went unanswered each time Forum 18
called. An official from the State Committee for Work with Religious
Organisations in Nakhichevan answered the phone but said nothing before
putting it down. Subsequent calls went unanswered. The telephone at the
State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations in Baku went
unanswered (see below).
Officials from the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations in
Baku or its branch in Nakhichevan do not allow non-Muslim communities to
gain the compulsory state registration in Nakhichevan, an exclave wedged
between Iran, Turkey and Armenia. This means that anything any non-Muslim
communities do in Nakhichevan is illegal and punishable (see below).
In summer 2025, officials warned a Christian in a town away from Baku to
halt holding meetings for worship or risk being fired from work. The state
assigned a man who had previously attended some of these meetings to keep
the individual under surveillance (see below).
All mosques must be subject to the state-controlled Caucasian Muslim Board,
and the State Committee names and removes imams. Mosques usually have
security cameras both inside the prayer hall facing worshippers and
surrounding the mosque. It remains unclear who has access to footage from
the cameras (see below).
The State Committee routinely denies registration to new non-Muslim
communities. The last community it granted registration to was the Baku
community of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly
known as Mormons) in July 2024. This was the first new non-Muslim community
the State Committee had registered since December 2020 (see below).
Several non-Muslim communities are known to be awaiting State Committee
registration, one for three years. "One community keeps asking the State
Committee what progress there is," an individual familiar with the
application told Forum 18. "We're considering it," officials tell the
community. "But while we're considering it, you're not allowed to hold
meetings. If you do, the police will come and you will be fined" (see
below).
Compulsory state permission to exist
Under the Religion Law, backed by Administrative Code Article 515
("Violation of the procedure for creating or running religious
organisations"), all exercise of freedom of religion and belief by a group
of people is illegal unless it has obtained state registration
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
exist.
To apply for permission to exist, a group must have at least 50 adult
founding members (https://www.forum18.org/archi
which bans all small religious communities. Many people are afraid to sign
such registration applications, for fear of harassment and reprisals by the
regime.
Without state registration religious communities – and even informal
groups of people meeting together – cannot legally exist or exercise
freedom of religion and belief
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
secret police have raided many religious communities that have chosen not
to register, or have tried to register but have been refused. Requiring
state permission to exercise freedom of religion and belief and other human
rights is against Azerbaijan's legally binding international human rights
obligations.
About 20 officers raid religious meeting
Officials from the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations in
Baku (headed by Ramin Mammadov) or its branch in Nakhichevan (headed by
Vugar Babayev) do not allow non-Muslim communities to gain the compulsory
state registration in Nakhichevan, an exclave wedged between Iran, Turkey
and Armenia. This means that anything any non-Muslim communities do in
Nakhichevan is illegal and punishable
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
As in the rest of Azerbaijan, all mosques must be subject to the
state-controlled Caucasian Muslim Board, and the State Committee names and
removes imams (https://www.forum18.org/archi
Police or the State Security Service (SSS) secret police conducted
surveillance on a group of Protestant Christians who met in a home in
Nakhichevan for some months in 2025. Members of the registered Vineyard
Church would often visit from the capital Baku to join the meetings for
worship. The Christians met in the home of a Korean family who were working
in the exclave.
On Sunday 13 April, about 20 police or SSS secret police officers raided
the meeting for worship, some of them in uniform and some not. The officers
included a man who had attended the meeting earlier after expressing
interest in coming to the meetings, but left soon after arriving. The
officers filmed those present.
Officers took all those present to the police or SSS secret police office.
They took away their identity documents, phones and other items. Officers
forced them to write statements about their activity.
Officers then released the local people, warning them not to have contact
with the "traitors to Islam". However, they held the visitors from Baku
(including a baby) for two days without food. Officers repeatedly
questioned them until late in the night. They were then freed, being told
to return the following morning.
Over the next two days, officers held and questioned the visitors from 9 am
to 9 pm.
The leader of the group from Vineyard Church signed a statement taking
responsibility for the literature found in the home of the Koreans, even
though it was in Korean. The literature was not connected to Vineyard
Church and included books on the teachings of Confucius.
Court hands down large fines
Officials prepared cases against 8 people under Administrative Code Article
515.0.2 (https://www.forum18.org/archi
legislation on holding religious meetings, marches, and other religious
ceremonies"). Punishment for individuals is a fine of 1,500 to 2,000
Manats, several months' average wage.
The cases were presented to Nakhichevan City Court, five on 22 May and
three on 26 May, according to court records. Four were assigned to Judge
Gulnar Safaraliyeva and four to Judge Gulsum Aliyeva.
The Court held multiple hearings in the cases. This meant that the three
from Baku had to make repeated visits to Nakhichevan, which is accessible
from Baku only by air. "This is expensive and flight tickets are difficult
to find," an individual who knows the situation told Forum 18. "When they
reached the court each time they found the hearing had been postponed."
At the final hearings on 19 June, Nakhichevan City Court fined the three
visitors from Baku and the two local people 1,500 Manats each. This
represents about three months' average wage for residents of Nakhichevan
and two months' average wage for residents of Baku.
The three visitors from Baku and the two local residents have chosen not to
appeal against the fines. "As the leader of the group acknowledged
responsibility for the books in the Koreans' home, the court decisions were
in line with the law," the individual familiar with the cases told Forum
18. Nevertheless, the individual recognised that the fines are so large
that the five will struggle to be able to pay them.
The court is believed to have also fined members of the Korean family and
deported them from Azerbaijan.
In July, court bailiffs started calling the two people from Nakhichevan,
demanding that they pay the large fines.
The telephone at Nakhichevan City Court went unanswered each time Forum 18
called on 29 July.
An official from the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations
in Nakhichevan answered the phone on 29 July but said nothing before
putting it down. Subsequent calls went unanswered.
The telephone at the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations
in Baku went unanswered on 29 July.
Threatened with dismissal from work for worship meetings
Officials elsewhere have taken steps to try to stop individuals sharing
their faith. In summer 2025, officials warned a Christian in a town away
from Baku to halt holding meetings for worship or risk being fired from
work.
The state assigned a man who had previously attended some of these meetings
to keep the individual under surveillance to make sure such meetings do not
restart.
Registration denials: "you will be fined"
The State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations in Baku granted
the Vineyard Christian Church in the capital state registration in April
2018, according to the State Committee website. This status allows the
community to conduct activity only at their registered address in Baku.
All mosques must be subject to the state-controlled Caucasian Muslim Board.
Since March 2022, the State Committee names and removes imams
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
security cameras both inside the prayer hall facing worshippers and
surrounding the mosque. A key mosque in Baku, Taza Pir, has six cameras
inside, an individual told Forum 18. It remains unclear who has access to
footage from the cameras.
The State Committee routinely denies registration to new non-Muslim
communities. The last community it granted registration to was the Baku
community of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly
known as Mormons) in July 2024. This was the first new non-Muslim community
the State Committee had registered since December 2020.
Forum 18 knows of several non-Muslim communities which have lodged
applications which have not been approved. One has been waiting for three
years. Sometimes officials promise that registration is about to be
approved, but nothing happens.
"One community keeps asking the State Committee what progress there is," an
individual familiar with the application told Forum 18. "We're considering
it," officials tell the community. "But while we're considering it, you're
not allowed to hold meetings. If you do, the police will come and you will
be fined."
"It is so sad," a member of another of the communities whose registration
application has languished with no response told Forum 18. "And they say
nothing." They noted that registration is important for the community to be
able to function normally.
Jehovah's Witnesses have been trying to register a national centre to allow
them to operate throughout the country, or at least to register communities
outside Baku. The State Committee has failed to approve any of these
applications.
The telephone at the State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations
in Baku went unanswered on 29 July. (END)
More reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Azerbaijan
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
For background information, see Forum 18's Azerbaijan religious freedom
survey (https://www.forum18.org/archi
Forum 18's compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in
Europe (OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments
(https://www.forum18.org/archi
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