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State Committee on Work with Religious Organizations expresses opinion on critiques about freedom of belief in Azerbaijan

31 January 2012 13:16 (UTC +04:00)

The statement reads that the Human Rights Watchâ€™s annual survey of the state of the human rights in the world was assessed as one of the efforts taken towards the protection of human rights and this initiative was positively evaluated.

It was underlined that nowadays the religious belief is being completely ensured and the religious situation is stabile in the Republic of Azerbaijan, the level of religious tolerance in the country is high, the international religious conferences and meetings are held in the country, no discrimination is permitted between the citizens for religious belief: â€œThe organizationâ€™s report says that as if more restrictions are made on the religious organizations with the annexes and amendments to the laws. As other democratic secular countries, the freedom of belief in the Republic of Azerbaijan can be restricted only for ensuring the public security interests, public order, protection of health, morality or rights and freedoms of the other persons in the cases considered by law and necessary in the society. This issue was reflected in the law on â€œFreedom of religious beliefâ€. The necessary amendments to the Code of Administrative Offences and Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan are made for the purpose of maintenance of the religious tolerance atmosphere, prevention of cases which cause negative effect on the religious situation in the country.

The report says that the meeting of â€œJehovah’s Witnessâ€ in Gandja was prevented by police in June 2010. We said that according to first point of article â„– 12 of the law on â€œFreedom of religious beliefâ€, all religious organizations can operate after registering in the state Committee on Work with Religious Organizations (CWRO) and entering to the state register. â€œJehovah’s Witnessâ€ community, which is not registered by the State Committee, attempted to organize religious meeting in Gandja in June 2010 and the police prevented it. Police were guided by the article â„– 299 (violation of the procedure for creating or running religious organizations) of the Code of Administrative Offences when they prevented them. Several people belonging to the â€œJehovah’s Witnessâ€ community committed administrative offences in Gandja with the violation of 12th article of the law on â€œFreedom of religious beliefâ€. We also informed that if religious organizations donâ€™t break the rules, the government will not prevent and control their activitiesâ€.

The statement also clarifies the reasons why Gandja religious community of Jehovah’s Witnesses was not registered.
â€œThe rules of registration of religious communities are very simple in Azerbaijan. Minimum number of documents is required for registration. There is no red tape in the process of registration of religious communities.â€

Commenting on the hijab problem at schools as mentioned in the report, the Committee says:
â€œBan on wearing hijab at schools and universities is in the competence of Education Ministry and educational institutions. It is regulated by article 14.10 of the Law on Education. According to the article, the forms of clothes worn by persons studying at educational institutions in Azerbaijan Republic are determined by the regulations of the education institutions. There does not exist other restricting legislative act. Like in all democratic secular states, wearing of uniforms in Azerbaijan Republic can not be regarded as violation of freedom of conscience.â€

As regards the arrest of chairman of illegally functioning Azerbaijan Islamic Party Movsum Samadov and others, the State Committee says these events have criminal character and it is groundless to regard it as violation of freedom of religion and as religious discrimination.