Jehovah’s Witnesses

For Immediate Release
March 10, 2010
(Azerbaijani)

Azerbaijan treats distribution of religious literature as a crime

BAKU, Azerbaijan—On March 3, 2010, Famil Nasirov and Amina Mammadova, Jehovah’s Witnesses sharing comforting thoughts from the Holy Scriptures with their neighbors, were stopped by three police officers and taken to the police station. The police confiscated their personal copies of the Holy Scriptures and other religious books, as well as several magazines they intended to share with persons interested in learning more about the Bible.

Although all the publications the two Witnesses intended to share with others were imported into Azerbaijan with the permission of the State Committee for Work With Religious Associations, the police charged the two with violating a law passed in 2009 that prohibits “the distribution of religious literature . . . without having received the permission [from the corresponding State organ] for their production or import.” That evening, the Khatai District Court in Baku ordered each of the two Witnesses to pay a fine of 200 AZN ($250 US), which is almost 70 percent of one month’s wages for the average citizen of Azerbaijan. Nasirov and Mammadova both intend to appeal the court decision.

In more than 236 countries and territories, Jehovah’s Witnesses use educational publications to teach people who want to learn about the Bible. This information is being published in 500 languages. Among the most recognized items translated is the Watchtower magazine, which is now simultaneously published in 180 languages, including Azerbaijani.

The right to manifest one’s religion is a fundamental freedom guaranteed by the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms. Numerous judgments from the European Court of Human Rights have confirmed that “[b]earing witness in words and deeds is bound up with the existence of religious convictions.” (See Kuznetsov v. Russia, no. 184/02, § 56, 11 January 2007 and Kokkinakis v. Greece, judgment of 25 May 1993, Series A no. 260-A, § 31.)  Because Azerbaijan is a signatory to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, any laws that authorize the courts to impose restrictions on the activities of Azerbaijani citizens must be construed in the light of the Constitution of Azerbaijan as well as the European Convention, both of which guarantee the freedom to manifest one’s religion. The right to distribute religious publications is an essential part of this fundamental freedom.

Contacts:
In Belgium: Luca Toffoli, European Association of Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses
Telephone: +32 2 782 0015
Portable: +32 475 58 10 36

In Britain: Paul Gillies, European Association of Jehovah’s Christian Witnesses
Telephone: +44 208 906 2211

In United States: Gregory Allen, Associate General Counsel
Telephone: +845-306-0711