Azerbaijan has increased
fines for religious believers who meet to pray without authorisation.
Six Jehovah’s Witnesses are sentenced to prison for practicing their
faith.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev on 29 December
signed into law a bill adopted by parliament on 8 December without
public debate.
The new legislation increases fines for offences related
to the right to exercise religious freedom as described in Articles 299
and 300 of the country’s Administrative Code.
Under the new rules, anyone involved unauthorised
religious activity is punished.
This includes leading unregistered
religious groups, meeting for prayers, and importing and distributing
religious texts or documents not approved by the country’s rigid
censorship board.
Foreigners who visit the country to speak about their
faith are also severely punished.
Proselytising and teaching children
catechism also require an authorisation.
Although prison is excluded as a form of punishment,
fines are increased between 16 and 20 times.
This means that offenders
could lose their property or be thrown into poverty.
Eldar Zeynalov, head of the Human Rights Centre of Azerbaijan, told Forum 18
that if a peasant family of five is found in possession of “illegal”
religious literature, each member could be fined 2,000 manat, 10,000 for
the whole family (US$ 12,500), representing “the entire value of the
family's assets, including their home”.
“These Articles punish what can be considered as
normal religious activity," Zeynalov explained.
“Any religious activity,
however small-scale, such as meeting for worship in a private flat,
talking about one's faith on the street, or handing out a book or even a
leaflet, is subject to prosecution.”
At the same time, the new rules are very vague about
what constitutes illegal religious activity, which gives police and the
authorities a great deal of discretionary power.
Although the government appears be motivated by a fear
of Islamic radicalism, the new rules apply to every religion.
In fact,
on 18 December, police burst into a private home in Gyanja and took into
custody about 50 Jehovah’s Witnesses who were brought to a local police
station.
Six, including Yegana Gahramanova, the flat’s owner,
were later convicted of holding an illegal religious meeting in the
presence of children.
Under the old rules, they had to pay fines ranging
from 100 to 150 manat (US$ 120-180).
Under the new rules, they would
have had to pay fines 16 times that amount.
Vephkya and Ekaterine Sheveli, a married couple from Georgia present at the meeting, were expelled on 19 December.
Jehovah’s Witnesses protested against the police raid,
saying they were only exercising the right to pray in accordance with
Article 21 of Azerbaijan’s Law on Religion, which guarantees the right
to practice one’s faith not only in "places of worship" but also "in
apartments and houses of citizens".
SIC: AN/INT'L