Azerbaijan: Country Dossier

March 2020 update

Open Doors International / World Watch Research

March 2020 [email protected]

Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Contents Introduction ...... 3 World Watch List 2020 ...... 3 Copyright notice ...... 5 Brief note on sources and definitions ...... 5 WWL 2020: Persecution summary / Azerbaijan ...... 6 Brief country details ...... 6 Dominant persecution engines and drivers ...... 6 Brief description of persecution situation ...... 6 Specific examples of persecution in the reporting period ...... 7 WWL 2020: Keys to understanding / Azerbaijan ...... 8 Link for general background information ...... 8 Recent history ...... 8 Political and legal landscape ...... 8 Religious landscape ...... 9 Economic landscape ...... 11 Social and cultural landscape ...... 11 Technological landscape ...... 12 Security situation ...... 12 Trends analysis ...... 13 External Links - WWL 2020: Keys to understanding...... 13 WWL 2020: Church information / Azerbaijan ...... 15 Christian origins ...... 15 Church spectrum today ...... 15 WWL 2020: Persecution Dynamics / Azerbaijan ...... 17 Reporting period ...... 17 Position on the World Watch List ...... 17 Persecution engines ...... 17 Drivers of persecution ...... 18 Geographical hotspots of persecution ...... 19 Christian communities and how they are affected ...... 19 The Persecution pattern...... 20 Pressure in the 5 spheres of life ...... 20 Violence ...... 23

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

5 Year trends ...... 24 Gender profile of persecution ...... 26 Persecution of other religious minorities...... 27 Future outlook for the church ...... 28 External Links - WWL 2020: Persecution Dynamics ...... 28 Additional reports and articles ...... 29 WWR in-depth reports ...... 29 World Watch Monitor news articles ...... 29 Recent country developments ...... 29

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Introduction World Watch List 2020

Total Total Total Total Total Private Family Community National Church Score Score Score Score Score Rank Country Violence life life life life life WWL WWL WWL WWL WWL 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

1 North Korea 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 11.1 94 94 94 92 92

2 Afghanistan 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 16.7 10.0 93 94 93 89 88

3 Somalia 16.5 16.7 16.6 16.6 16.5 9.4 92 91 91 91 87

4 Libya 15.3 15.5 15.8 16.0 16.4 11.3 90 87 86 78 79

5 14.0 13.9 15.0 14.9 13.7 16.7 88 87 86 88 87

6 Eritrea 14.5 14.9 15.9 15.9 15.4 10.9 87 86 86 82 89

7 Sudan 14.2 14.6 14.5 15.7 16.1 10.4 85 87 87 87 84

8 Yemen 16.6 16.4 16.4 16.7 16.7 2.6 85 86 85 85 78

9 Iran 14.1 14.3 14.1 15.8 16.5 10.4 85 85 85 85 83

10 India 12.9 13.0 13.5 15.0 13.5 14.8 83 83 81 73 68

11 Syria 13.5 14.2 13.0 13.9 14.4 12.6 82 82 76 86 87

12 Nigeria 12.2 11.9 13.5 12.8 13.0 16.7 80 80 77 78 78

13 Saudi Arabia 15.1 14.9 14.1 15.5 16.5 2.4 79 77 79 76 76

14 15.4 15.6 14.0 15.9 16.6 0.7 78 78 78 76 76

15 Iraq 14.0 14.6 13.9 14.5 13.6 5.6 76 79 86 86 90

16 Egypt 12.1 13.1 10.7 13.2 10.5 16.1 76 76 70 65 64

17 Algeria 13.5 14.3 10.4 12.8 13.2 9.3 73 70 58 58 56

18 Uzbekistan 15.1 12.9 14.1 12.2 15.7 3.0 73 74 73 71 70

19 Myanmar 11.8 11.9 13.5 12.5 12.2 10.7 73 71 65 62 62

20 Laos 12.8 9.9 14.1 14.4 14.9 5.6 72 71 67 64 58

21 Vietnam 12.3 8.5 12.9 13.6 14.5 9.8 72 70 69 71 66

22 Turkmenistan 14.5 11.2 13.8 13.3 15.7 1.9 70 69 68 67 66

23 China 11.6 8.4 11.6 12.8 15.1 10.2 70 65 57 57 57

24 Mauritania 13.9 14.0 13.0 13.7 13.4 0.2 68 67 57 55 50

Central African 25 10.1 9.1 13.1 9.8 10.2 15.6 68 70 61 58 59 Republic

26 Morocco 12.4 13.3 10.8 11.7 14.1 4.1 66 63 51 49 47

27 Qatar 13.6 13.4 10.8 12.2 14.1 2.2 66 62 63 66 65

28 Burkina Faso 9.4 9.7 10.2 9.4 11.8 15.6 66 48 - - -

29 Mali 9.2 8.2 12.8 10.0 11.7 13.7 66 68 59 59 55

30 Sri Lanka 11.5 9.0 11.0 10.9 9.6 13.1 65 58 57 55 53

31 Tajikistan 13.9 12.3 11.9 12.4 13.1 1.1 65 65 65 58 58

32 Nepal 12.4 10.8 9.9 12.1 12.2 7.0 64 64 64 53 53

33 Jordan 13.1 14.1 10.7 11.7 12.5 1.7 64 65 66 63 59

34 Tunisia 12.0 12.8 10.3 10.8 12.3 5.4 64 63 62 61 58

35 Kazakhstan 13.2 11.5 10.7 12.4 14.0 1.7 64 63 63 56 55

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

36 Turkey 12.6 11.8 10.7 13.3 11.3 3.7 63 66 62 57 55

37 Brunei 13.8 14.3 10.7 10.3 13.5 0.6 63 63 64 64 61

38 Bangladesh 11.1 9.9 12.7 11.1 8.9 9.3 63 58 58 63 57

39 Ethiopia 10.0 9.2 10.6 10.8 10.4 11.9 63 65 62 64 67

40 Malaysia 12.1 14.6 12.7 12.0 9.6 1.5 62 60 65 60 58

41 Colombia 8.9 7.8 11.9 9.8 8.9 15.0 62 58 56 53 55

42 Oman 12.7 13.1 10.0 11.5 12.7 2.0 62 59 57 53 53

43 Kuwait 13.2 13.1 9.9 11.5 13.4 0.7 62 60 61 57 56

44 Kenya 11.7 10.5 10.9 8.3 10.9 9.1 61 61 62 68 68

45 Bhutan 12.8 10.9 11.8 11.6 13.9 0.0 61 64 62 61 56

Russian 46 12.2 8.3 10.7 10.4 12.1 6.9 60 60 51 46 48 Federation

United Arab 47 12.9 13.0 9.5 11.1 12.6 1.1 60 58 58 55 55 Emirates

48 Cameroon 8.8 7.2 11.6 7.0 10.4 15.0 60 54 38 - 45

49 Indonesia 10.9 11.1 11.6 10.2 9.5 6.5 60 65 59 55 55

50 Niger 9.4 9.5 13.3 7.2 11.1 9.3 60 52 45 47 53

Palestinian 51 12.2 13.0 9.2 10.2 11.9 3.1 60 57 60 64 62 Territories

52 Mexico 8.4 6.8 12.2 10.6 10.0 11.5 60 61 59 57 56

53 Azerbaijan 13.0 10.0 9.3 11.1 12.4 1.5 57 57 57 52 57

54 Comoros 11.7 11.5 9.1 9.9 13.9 0.9 57 56 56 56 56

55 Kyrgyzstan 12.9 10.3 11.1 9.4 11.9 1.1 57 56 54 48 46

56 Djibouti 12.3 12.3 10.3 10.0 11.2 0.2 56 56 56 57 58

Democratic 57 Republic of the 5.6 6.7 10.6 7.4 10.4 15.6 56 55 33 - 53 Congo

58 Chad 11.5 8.2 10.2 9.6 10.3 5.9 56 48 40 - 51

59 Bahrain 12.1 12.3 9.1 10.1 10.5 0.9 55 55 57 54 54

60 Tanzania 9.3 10.8 10.3 8.6 8.7 7.0 55 52 53 59 57

61 Cuba 9.6 5.6 9.5 11.8 12.0 3.5 52 49 49 47 42

62 Uganda 8.1 4.6 6.7 6.7 9.1 13.0 48 47 46 53 45

63 Burundi 5.1 5.8 9.7 9.2 9.6 8.7 48 43 - - -

64 Guinea 10.3 7.5 8.3 7.0 8.1 3.7 45 46 - - -

65 South Sudan 5.7 1.5 7.0 6.3 7.8 15.6 44 44 - - -

66 Mozambique 6.9 4.6 7.1 5.2 8.0 11.7 43 43 - - -

67 Gambia 8.3 8.2 8.7 8.3 8.8 1.1 43 43 - - -

68 Angola 6.4 3.6 7.0 8.7 10.4 6.7 43 42 - - -

69 Venezuela 3.8 4.4 10.6 9.3 9.5 4.8 42 41 34 - -

70 Ivory Coast 9.8 8.6 8.2 5.5 6.6 3.5 42 43 - - -

71 Rwanda 5.3 4.4 6.7 7.8 10.1 7.2 42 41 - - -

72 Nicaragua 5.8 4.2 8.5 9.8 9.0 4.1 41 41 - - -

73 Togo 8.6 6.7 8.5 7.1 8.4 1.1 41 42 - - -

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Copyright notice No copyright - This report is the property of World Watch Research (WWR), the research department of Open Doors International. It may be used and distributed free of charge, but please always acknowledge WWR as the source. Brief note on sources and definitions This country report is a collation of data and analysis based around Open Doors World Watch List (WWL) and includes statistical information on world , Christian denominations and people groups prepared by the World Christian Database (WCD). The highlighted links in the text can be found written out in full at the conclusion of each main section under the heading “External links”. The WWL 2020 reporting period was 1 November 2018 - 31 October 2019.

The definition of persecution used in WWL analysis is: “Any hostility experienced as a result of one’s identification with Christ. This can include hostile attitudes, words and actions towards ”.

This broad definition includes (but is not limited to) restrictions, pressure, discrimination, opposition, disinformation, injustice, intimidation, mistreatment, marginalization, oppression, intolerance, infringement, violation, ostracism, hostilities, harassment, abuse, violence, ethnic cleansing and genocide.

The latest update of WWL Methodology including appendices can be found on the World Watch List Documentation page of the Open Doors Analytical website (password: freedom).

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

WWL 2020: Persecution summary / Azerbaijan Brief country details

Pop 2019 Christians Chr%

Azerbaijan

10,015,000 248,000 2.5

Data source: Johnson T M and Zurlo G A, eds., World Christian Database (Leiden/Boston: Brill, accessed April 2019).

World Watch List Azerbaijan Points WWL Rank WWL 2020 57 53 WWL 2019 57 50 WWL 2018 57 45 WWL 2017 52 0 WWL 2016 57 34

Scores and ranks are shown above whenever the country scored 41 points or more in the WWL 2016-2020 reporting periods. Dominant persecution engines and drivers Azerbaijan: Main Persecution engines Main drivers

Government officials, Citizens (people from the broader Dictatorial paranoia society), including mobs, Political parties

One's own (extended) family, Government officials, Non- Islamic oppression Christian religious leaders, Citizens (people from the broader society), including mobs

Engines and Drivers are listed in order of strength. Only Very strong / Strong / Medium are shown here. Brief description of persecution situation The government of Azerbaijan monitors the activities of religious groups closely. Officially, the country is secular and is tolerated. However, the level of surveillance is so high that Christians in Azerbaijan do not know whom to trust anymore. Russian Orthodox churches experience the least problems from the government as they do not usually attempt to make contact with the . It is the indigenous Christians with a Muslim background who are bearing the brunt of persecution both at the hands of the state and from family, friends and community.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Specific examples of persecution in the reporting period • On 31 December 2018, a Baptist couple in southwest held an illegal religious meeting and handed out Christian literature. They were later fined and interrogated. (Earlier, their child had handed out Christian literature at school, which was reported to the authorities, leading to the family home being raided and Christian literature seized.) A Baptist pastor at the same New Year's Eve meeting also had his home raided and Christian literature seized. (Source: Open Doors) • In northern Azerbaijan members of an unregistered church were questioned and threatened with arrest; the pastors received fines. (Source: Open Doors) • In April 2019 a young man who had converted to was forced to leave his home after he had been beaten several times by his father for becoming a Christian. (Source: Open Doors)

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

WWL 2020: Keys to understanding / Azerbaijan Link for general background information See BBC country profile: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17043424. Recent history Azerbaijan declared independence from the former on 30 August 1991, with Ayaz Mutalibov, former First Secretary of the Azerbaijani Communist Party, becoming the country's first president. Elections in June 1992 resulted in the selection of Popular Front Party (PFP) leader Abulfaz Elchibey becoming the country's first democratically elected, non-Communist president.

The early years of Azerbaijan's independence (1992-1994) were overshadowed by the war waged between the ethnic Armenian majority living in the Nagorno-Karabkah region (backed by Armenia) and the army of Azerbaijan. By the end of hostilities in 1994, Armenians controlled up to 14–16% of Azerbaijani territory. A cease-fire was reached, but the problematic issue has never been resolved. From time to time there are outbreaks of military activities. As a result, there is a huge distrust in Azerbaijan against everything Armenian.

Meanwhile, President Elchibey was formally deposed by a national referendum in August 1993, when the National Council conferred presidential powers upon its new speaker, Heydar Aliyev, former First Secretary of the Azerbaijani Communist Party (1969–81) and later a member of the Soviet Union's Politburo, the KGB, and USSR Deputy Prime Minister (until 1987). Aliyev was elected to a 5-year term as President in October with only token opposition. Aliyev won re- election to another 5-year term in 1998, in an election marred by serious irregularities.

Azerbaijan's Constitution was changed at the end of 2002. This was done to make it possible for the son of the 80-year-old president, , to succeed his father who was admitted to a Turkish hospital in July 2003 because of heart problems. In August 2003, Ilham Aliyev was appointed premier. In the October 2003 presidential elections, Ilham Aliyev was announced winner while international observers reported several irregularities. He was sworn in as president at the end of the month. He was re-elected to a third term as president in October 2013. He then launched a crackdown on opposition elements. In April 2018 President Aliev secured a fourth term with opposition parties boycotting the elections. Political and legal landscape Azerbaijan is a semi-presidential republic, with the as the head of state, and the Prime Minister of Azerbaijan as head of government. Executive power is exercised by the president and the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament. The Judiciary is nominally independent of the executive and the legislature. Since 2008, the Constitution of Azerbaijan was amended, abolishing any term limit for the office of president. Since 21 February 2017 Ilham Aliyev’s wife Mehriba was appointed vice-president of Azerbaijan.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Azerbaijan has a Constitution and parliament, but in fact all power lies in the hands of the president. All opposition and human rights movements and independent media are very much restricted in Azerbaijan, and it is not unusual for opposition politicians and journalists to be imprisoned. Azerbaijan is currently ruled by President Ilham Aliyev, who came to power in October 2003, succeeding his ailing father Heydar Aliyev (as described above in "Recent history").

The government, foreign apologists, and religious leaders coerced or co-opted by the regime use claims of what is called "tolerance", "dialogue", "multiculturalism" and similar terms to deny the reality of the serious human rights violations occurring in the country. For example, delegations of religious leaders are used for propaganda when the government seeks international trade agreements. The regime and its foreign apologists even claim that other countries should promote "the Azerbaijani model of tolerance". (Source: Forum 18, Religious freedom survey, November 2018)

The government regularly invites delegations from human rights organizations and international political institutes like the EU, UN and others. These visitors are then provided with a program to visit cities and meet with well-selected representatives of the people of Azerbaijan (including representatives of the registered churches), who confirm the government's claims about tolerance. However, it is not possible for delegations to meet with members of the opposition (since these are in prison) or people from churches that do not have registration. The result is that from time to time very favorable reports on Azerbaijan are published, also by the World Evangelical Alliance after an official visit in April 2017.

In 2013 The Azerbaijani embassy in Germany approached the German Open Doors Development office to ask how it was possible that their country had ended up on the Open Doors World Watch List, an index indicating high levels of Christian persecution in various countries. They repeated these moves after the publication of WWL 2016. Denials of reality are a routine tactic of the government and its apologists.

The government of Azerbaijan is the most oppressive factor that Christians in the country are having to deal with. Apart from many restrictions imposed by the legislation, the state is also monitoring the religious activities of every religious group in the country.The government has also taken up the task of keeping its image intact by vigorously opposing any reports critical of the country published in other countries - including reports concerning the persecution of Christians. Religious landscape The majority religion in Azerbaijan is . 85% of the Muslims are Shia Muslims and 15% Sunni Muslims. However, it would be wrong to call Azerbaijan a Muslim country. 70 years of atheism during the Soviet era have left a deep influence: The government (the heirs of the atheist Soviets) is staunchly secular and has put Islam under very strict control. Most of the Muslim population would seem to follow Islamic traditions purely as a form of culture. In a 2006–2008 Gallup poll, only 21% of respondents from Azerbaijan stated that religion is an important part of their daily lives. This makes Azerbaijan the least religious Muslim-majority country in the world.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Christians are a small minority and most of them are living in the break-away republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. Due to the massive emigration of Armenians and Russians since 1991, churches in Azerbaijan have seen a marked decrease in numbers. Another weakness of the Christian witness in Azerbaijan is that it is severely divided. There is little cooperation and much division between the various denominations. This plays into the hands of the government because it makes the Church weaker.

Another problem for the Church in Azerbaijan is the constant pressure exerted by the state. The Constitution stipulates the separation of state and religion and the equality of all religions. It also protects the right of individuals to express their religious beliefs and practice religious rituals, provided these do not violate public order or public morality. The law prohibits the government from interfering in religious activities, but it also states that the government and citizens have a responsibility to combat “religious extremism” and “radicalism.” The law specifies that the government may dissolve religious organizations if they cause racial, national, religious, or social animosity, or proselytize in a way that “degrades human dignity”, or hinders secular education. (Source: US State Department, International Religious Freedom Report for 2017.)

In addition to the restrictions contained in published laws, many faith communities have found that there are also unwritten restrictions. Without indications of approval from senior regime figures, groups are unlikely to be allowed to exercise and belief. This prevents communities from legally existing and carrying out activities such as opening places of worship, recovering property confiscated in Soviet times, holding public events and publishing religious literature. (Source: Forum 18, Religious Freedom Survey, November 2018.)

Azerbaijan uses a special government agency, the State Committee on Work with Religious Associations (SCWRA), to supervise (and restrict) religion. To function as a religious group, it is necessary to register with the SCWRA. This requires the signatures of 50 official members. Furthermore, the SCWRA must approve of all religious literature and materials before it may be produced, imported or distributed.

The registration process, which started after a set of laws regulating religious affairs was introduced in 2009, has virtually ground to a halt, leaving many re-registration applications unanswered. No non-Muslim registrations were made in 2107 and only three in 2018, including the Seventh-day Adventists in Gyanja and the Vineyard church in Baku). Some religious communities have found that compulsory re-registration means de-registration. For example, the Baptist Union had 10 registered congregations in 1992; after a series of compulsory re- registrations with ever decreasing numbers of congregations being accepted, only one congregation (in Baku) was finally re-registered in 2015. All the other congregations which lodged repeated applications have received rejections. (Source: Forum 18, Religious freedom survey, November 2018.)

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Religious Context: Azerbaijan Number % Christians 248,000 2.5

Muslim 9,628,000 96.1

Hindu 300 0.0

Buddhist 0 0.0

Ethno-religionist 0 0.0

Jewish 5,800 0.1

Bahai 2,000 0.0

Atheist 9,200 0.1

Agnostic 119,000 1.2

Other 1,800 0.0 Data source: Johnson T M and Zurlo G A, eds., World Christian Database (Leiden/Boston: Brill, accessed April 2019). OTHER includes Chinese folk, New religionist, Sikh, Spiritist, Taoist, Confucianist, Jain, Shintoist, Zoroastrian. Economic landscape Azerbaijan is one of the richest countries in the former Soviet Union with an unemployment rate of only 5.4% and a relatively small percentage of the population living below the poverty line (6%). Mining and hydrocarbon industries account for well over 95% of the Azerbaijani economy. There is an urgent need for diversification, but no significant steps in this direction have been taken yet. Despite massive oil wealth, much of the population remains in poverty.

Azerbaijan's high economic growth has been attributable to large and growing oil and gas exports, but some non-export sectors also featured double-digit growth, including construction, banking and real estate. Oil exports through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Novorossiysk and Baku-Supsa pipelines remain the main economic driver, but efforts to boost Azerbaijan's gas production are underway. (Source: CIA World Factbook, updated November 2018.)

In July 2015 Russia stepped up its pressure on Azerbaijan by extending the area under Russian control in South Ossetia in Georgia southwards. Now more than 1.5 kilometers of the Baku- Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, the main export line, is under Russian control. Another factor having a major impact on Azerbaijan is the drop in the price of oil since 2014. Social and cultural landscape Azerbaijan is unique among the former Soviet republics in having a large majority of Shiites (85% of the country’s Muslims) and a small minority of Sunni Muslims. Most Christians belong to ethnic minorities - mainly Russian and Armenian. There are also approximately 10,000 Azeri Christian converts. Large-scale Russian emigration explains the negative overall growth rate of Christianity in Azerbaijan. Christianity in Azerbaijan is perceived with some hostility. This is has historical reasons: Russian imperialism, Armenian enmity and Western neo-colonialism are all regarded as a blemish to the nation.

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According to the 2009 census, the ethnic composition of the population is: 91.60% , 2.02% Lezgians, 1.35% Armenians (almost all Armenians live in the break-away region of Nagorno-Karabakh), 1.34% Russians, 1.26% Talysh, 0.56% Avars, 0.43% Turks, 0.29% Tatars, 0.28% Tats, 0.24% Ukrainians, 0.14% Tsakhurs, 0.11% Georgians, 0.10% Jews, 0.07% Kurds, other 0.21%.

Thanks to the old Soviet system of education, practically every citizen in Azerbaijan is literate (99.8%). People interested in the Christian faith can obtain materials in their own language. The closeness of the Azeri language to Turkish means that many materials in Turkish can also benefit Christians in Azerbaijan. Another important factor is the presence of more than 12 million Azerbaijanis in neighboring Iran. This has provided an opportunity for outreach.

Corruption is endemic on all levels of administration and government. Christians have to face corruption on a daily basis – if they want to get anything done they must be prepared to pay bribes. Unregistered groups suffer most since they know that their activities are illegal and that they need to bribe officials to look the other way. Technological landscape The media is under state control and this was tightened further in September 2014, with the authorities requiring that the press work under the guidance of official propaganda. Government policies cannot be criticized. (Source: Radio Free Europe.)

In July 2016 the independent TV station ANS TV had its license revoked for allegedly expressing support for US-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen at the time of the failed coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Source: Radio Free Europe.)

Foreign media are also restricted. Azerbaijani authorities sealed off the office of Radio Free Europe which was shut down in December 2014 in connection with a government-led campaign against foreign organizations. (Source: Radio Free Europe) Foreign Christian radio (medium and short wave) and television stations (satellite) can be accessed from within Azerbaijan.

Internet access is also under surveillance, but there have been no reports of websites being blocked by the regime. This means that Azeri Christians have the opportunity to access foreign Christian websites.

There are more cell phones in Azerbaijan than people. This offers opportunities for Christian mission via SD cards. Security situation The conflict with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave has not been settled and only a fragile ceasefire is in place. The enclave is populated mostly by Armenians. The two countries have held occasional talks to find a solution for this longest-running conflict in the former Soviet Union. Altogether about one million people have been displaced and more than 35,000 killed as a result of this conflict.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Trends analysis 1) Azerbaijan continues to have very restrictive legislation

Azerbaijan is a country that can best be described as an intelligent dictatorship under President Ilham Aliyev. To stay in power, the government uses a wide range of tactics. First of all, the country has very restrictive legislation. Since 1992 the government has amended the Law on Religious Freedom 14 times. One of the very negative effects of this is that at least six times since 1991 all churches in Azerbaijan have been obliged to re-register under increasingly harsher conditions. It should come as no surprise that at each round of re-registration fewer and fewer congregations manage to satisfy the requirements.

2) All forms of opposition are under constant surveillance

Secondly, the security and secret services have a wide mandate and are numerically strong. All opposition, be it political, social, religious, or through the media are under constant surveillance. Arrests and beatings occur on a very regular basis. Churches that have no registration face the constant threat of raids, confiscation, arrests and fines. Pastors and other church leaders are from time to time invited to the police station or the secret police for 'discussions', just to keep the pressure up. The authorities have also managed to create an atmosphere of distrust among Christians. It is believed that all churches have been infiltrated by informers who report to the authorities. As a result, no one knows who can be trusted any more.

3) There are no major threats challenging the regime

In many respects Azerbaijan has developed the most sophisticated and intelligent system for staying in power. So far, it has been very successful and there are currently no major threats challenging the regime. In April 2018 President Aliev secured a fourth term while opposition boycotted the elections. Due to the high level of state control and the weakness of the opposition, there is hardly any chance that there will be a change of government in the near future. External Links - WWL 2020: Keys to understanding • Link for general background information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe- 17043424. - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17043424 • Political and legal landscape: appointed - https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-aliyev- names-wife-aliyeva-vice-president/28322210.html • Political and legal landscape: Forum 18, Religious freedom survey, November 2018 - http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2429 • Political and legal landscape: official visit - https://intranet.globalpoint.info/wwu/_layouts/15/listform.aspx?PageType=4&ListId =%7BD75626AE-AC86-45AD-A7C1- 599138589CB8%7D&ID=833&ContentTypeID=0x0100FA839E0E730E6E48AD9B1 D5591D0FB8C • Religious landscape: 2006-2008 Gallup poll - https://web.archive.org/web/20141006084434/http://www.today.az/news/society/50636 .html

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• Religious landscape: US State Department, International Religious Freedom Report for 2017 - http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/religiousfreedom/index.htm?year=2017&dlid=280 882 • Religious landscape: Forum 18, Religious Freedom Survey, November 2018 - http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2429 • Religious landscape: Forum 18, Religious freedom survey, November 2018. - http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2429 • Economic landscape: in poverty - http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2081 • Economic landscape: CIA World Factbook - https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the- world-factbook/geos/aj.html • Social and cultural landscape: 2009 census - https://www.britannica.com/place/Azerbaijan/People • Technological landscape: Radio Free Europe - http://www.rferl.org/content/azerbaijan- squeezes-civil-society-media/26574692.html • Technological landscape: Radio Free Europe - http://www.rferl.org/content/azerbaijan- rferl-closes-baku-bureau/27031745.html • Security situation: Nagorno-Karabakh enclave - https://www.cfr.org/interactive/global- conflict-tracker/conflict/nagorno-karabakh-conflict

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WWL 2020: Church information / Azerbaijan Christian origins Christianity arrived in the Kingdom of in the 1st century AD. The origins and formation of the Albanian Church are closely associated with the history of eastern Christianity (Nestorianism). Christianity officially became the state religion at the beginning of the 4th century. Invading Arab armies turned Caucasian Albania into a vassal state after the Christian resistance, led by King Javanshir, was suppressed in 667. From this moment onwards, Islam seeped into the country. At the beginning of the 11th century, the territory was seized by waves of Turkic Oghuz tribes from Central Asia. The first of these Turkic dynasties established was the Seljuqs, who entered the area now known as Azerbaijan by 1067. A clear division began to develop with Islam being the religion of the Azeris and Christianity the religion of the minority Armenians.

In the 16th century, the first shah of the Safavid established as the state religion. In 1806, what is now Azerbaijan became occupied by the Russian Empire during the Russo-Persian War (1804-1813). With the Russians came a new wave of Christians, since the regime brought in ethnic Russians, who mostly belonged to the . In 1918 Azerbaijan declared independence but they were conquered by the Soviets in 1920. Since Azerbaijan became an independent state again in 1991, many Russians have left the country, which has especially weakened the Russian Orthodox Church. Russian Protestants, however, have played a formative role in the initial stages of the new Azeri church. Church spectrum today Church networks: Azerbaijan Christians %

Orthodox 224,000 90.3

Catholic 630 0.3

Protestant 18,500 7.5

Independent 4,800 1.9

Unaffiliated 820 0.3

Doubly-affiliated Christians 0 0.0

Total 248,750 100.3

(Any deviation from the total number of Christians stated above is due

to the rounding of decimals)

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Evangelical movement 8,800 3.5

Renewalist movement 13,700 5.5

Data source: Johnson T M and Zurlo G A, eds., World Christian Database (Leiden/Boston: Brill, accessed April 2019).

Orthodox: Eastern (Chalcedonian), Oriental (Pre-Chalcedonian, Non-Chalcedonian, Monophysite), Nestorian (Assyrian), and non-historical Orthodox. Roman Catholics: All Christians in communion with the Church of Rome. Protestants: Christians in churches originating in or in communion with the Western world’s 16th-century Protestant Reformation. Includes Anglicans, Lutherans and (any of whom may be Charismatic) and denominational Pentecostals, but not Independent traditions such as Independent Baptists nor independent Charismatics. Independents: Believers who do not identify with the major Christian traditions (Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant). Unaffiliated Christians: Persons professing publicly to be Christians but who are not affiliated to churches. Doubly-affiliated Christians: Persons affiliated to or claimed by 2 denominations at once. Evangelical movement: Churches, denominations, and individuals who identify themselves as evangelicals by membership in denominations linked to evangelical alliances (e.g., World Evangelical Alliance) or by self-identification in polls. Renewalist movement: Church members involved in Pentecostal/Charismatic renewal.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

WWL 2020: Persecution Dynamics / Azerbaijan Reporting period 1 November 2018 – 31 October 2019 Position on the World Watch List With a score of 57 points, Azerbaijan ranked 53 in WWL 2020 and thus failed to remain in the Top 50 countries.

The score is the same as in WWL 2019 and WWL 2018 and there have been no significant changes regarding religious freedom and the persecution of Christians. The government has continued its dictatorial control over the country, with the state closely monitoring all non- Orthodox Christian groups. Persecution engines

Persecution engines: Azerbaijan Abbreviation Level of influence

Islamic oppression IO Medium

Religious nationalism RN Not at all

Clan and ethnic antagonism CEA Weak

Christian denominational protectionism CDP Very weak

Communist and post - Communist oppression CPCO Not at all

Secular intolerance SI Very weak

Dictatorial paranoia DPA Strong

Organized corruption and crime OCC Not at all

The scale for the level of influence of Persecution engines in society is: Not at all / Very weak / Weak / Medium / Strong / Very strong. For more information see WWL Methodology.

Dictatorial paranoia (Strong):

No religious activities beyond state-run and state-controlled institutions are allowed. State agents are reported to have infiltrated all religious congregations. Pastors and other church leaders are regularly invited for conversations with the police. This has created an atmosphere of fear and no one knows who they can trust any longer. As a result, few dare to talk to foreigners and information about persecution is scarce. Restrictive legislation that requires registration has been imposed. From time to time all registered groups are required to apply for re-registration, a process in which ever fewer congregations manage to pass the hurdle. The level of oppression in Azerbaijan is so high that Azerbaijani Christians find it easier to evangelize in Iran than in their own country.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Islamic oppression (Medium):

Christian converts from a Muslim background are particularly affected. If indigenous people convert to Christianity, they will experience pressure and occasionally physical violence from their families, friends and local community to force them to recant and return to their former faith. Some converts will be locked up for long periods and be beaten. Local mullahs will preach against them and they may eventually be expelled from their communities. As a result, converts will do their best to hide their new faith – they become so-called secret believers. Drivers of persecution Drivers of Persecution: IO RN CEA CDP CPCO SI DPA OCC Azerbaijan VERY VERY MEDIUM - WEAK - STRONG - WEAK WEAK Government Very Medium - - - - Strong - officials weak Ethnic group Very Very ------leaders weak weak Non-Christian Medium ------religious leaders Religious leaders Very of other ------weak churches Violent religious ------groups Ideological ------pressure groups Citizens (people from the Very Very Medium - - - Medium - broader society), weak weak including mobs One's own Very (extended) Strong - Weak - - - - weak family Political parties ------Medium - Revolutionaries or paramilitary ------groups Organized crime cartels or ------networks Multilateral organizations (e.g. UN, OIC ------etc.) and embassies

The scale for the level of influence of Drivers of persecution in society is: Not at all / Very weak / Weak / Medium / Strong / Very strong. Please note that "-" denotes "not at all". For more information see WWL Methodology.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Drivers of Dictatorial paranoia:

• Government officials (Strong): At all levels these are the strongest persecutors of Christians in Azerbaijan. They have infiltrated all churches and police interrogate pastors and other church leaders regularly. They monitor all religious activities, raid meetings and block the distribution of religious materials. • Normal citizens (Medium): Especially at the local level, members of the community will monitor religious activities and report to the authorities. • Political parties (Medium): Few parties are allowed in Azerbaijan and opposition is constantly suppressed. The governing party under President Aliyev is a powerful element in suppressing religious and other forms of freedom in the country.

Drivers of Islamic oppression:

• Muslim family members (Strong): A convert's Muslim family will exert high pressure since they regard conversion to Christianity as treason. This may lead to house arrest and beatings. • Government officials (Medium): At the community level there is a link between government officials and Muslim pressure. Often, active Muslims and local officials know each other. This is why the pressure on converts is stronger at the community level than at the state level, where officials claim that they are secular. • Non-Christian religious leaders (Medium) Muslim leaders are also oppressed by the government and have limited freedom. Nevertheless, that does not stop them using their influence to oppose any conversion of Azerbaijanis to Christianity. • Normal citizens (Medium): Islam is the standard religion for ethnic Azerbaijanis. Normal citizens at the community level will exert high pressure on converts to return to Islam. Geographical hotspots of persecution There are no hotspots of persecution of Christians in Azerbaijan, but pressure from the Muslim environment on converts is more intense outside the major cities. Christian communities and how they are affected Communities of expatriate Christians: Expatriate Christians in Azerbaijan are not involuntarily isolated from other Christian communities and so have not been considered as a separate category for WWL analysis and scoring.

Historical Christian communities: These groups are not involved in evangelism among Azeris and can function without too much government interference. They will also be used to corroborate the propaganda of the regime that Azerbaijan is the "Land of Tolerance".

Converts to Christianity: Christian converts with a Muslim background bear the brunt of the persecution in Azerbaijan. Apart from restrictions from the state, they are under strong pressure from family, friends and community, which affects them more directly.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Non-traditional Christian communities: These groups are high on the government’s agenda. They have been infiltrated by spies, and all their activities are constantly being monitored. Pastors and church leaders are required to report to the police regularly. Due to the repeated cycles of obligatory re-registration every 6-7 years, ever fewer congregations in this category exist. The Persecution pattern

The WWL 2020 Persecution pattern for Azerbaijan shows:

• The average pressure on Christians is at a very high level (11.2 points), the same level as in WWL 2019. • The sphere of life with the highest level of pressure is Private life. This reflects the seriousness of the pressure on converts from the Muslim environment. • The score for violence is low at 1.5 points, the same as for WWL 2019. Few people dare to speak out and hence very few violent incidents are reported from Azerbaijan. Pressure in the 5 spheres of life In each of the five spheres of life discussed below, details are shown from four of the highest scoring block questions, with those items scoring highest listed first. In some cases, an additional paragraph per sphere is included to give further information deemed important. (To see how individual questions are scored on a scale 0 – 4 points, please see the “WWL Scoring example” in the WWL Methodology, available at: http://opendoorsanalytical.org/world-watch-list- documentation/, password: freedom.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Private sphere:

• It has been dangerous to privately own or keep Christian materials (Block 1.3 / Score: 3.5 points): For converts, the persecution comes from their family or community if they find Christian materials. Christian materials are considered as hard evidence for conversion. The government has a strict requirement that all religious literature (both imported and anything produced in the country) must be checked by the state and given permission for distribution - otherwise it is illegal and banned. The ROC does not seem to have problems at this point. • It has been risky for Christians to meet with other Christians (Block 1.9 / Score 3.5 points): Converts run the risk of drawing unwanted attention from their social environment. Protestants are always at risk of government harassment and disruption when meeting with other Christians, as it is considered an illegal activity not sanctioned by the government. • It has been risky for Christians to reveal their faith in written forms or personal expression (Block 1.4 / Score 3.25 points): There are few opportunities for Christians to reveal their faith and activities in written form, except on Facebook and other similar websites. Christians from registered churches in Azerbaijan - including indigenous Christians - openly share their faith, although the access to their pages would be restricted to a group of friends. However, Christians from non-registered churches do not use Facebook for such purposes. Converts have an additional problem in this respect as openly showing their new faith will draw negative reactions from their families, friends and the community. • It has been risky for Christians to speak about their faith with others than immediate family (Block 1.8/Score 3.25 points): Converts will avoid sharing their new faith with members of their local Islamic community to prevent negative reactions. Non-traditional Protestants can also quickly be accused of carrying out evangelism when they speak about their faith.

Family sphere:

• Christian baptisms have been hindered (Block 2.4 / Score: 3.25 points): Baptisms are regularly regarded as the final farewell to the faith of the fathers - the final sign of conversion. Family, friends and community will oppose this. Baptisms are regarded by the state with hostility as they are automatically connected to evangelism and conversion - two activities opposed by the state. • Parents have been hindered in raising their children according to their Christian beliefs (Block 2.7 / Score: 3.25 points): Officially, Azerbaijan is a secular country. It will not impose a specific religious teaching. The only place for parents to provide Christian teachings is in church and at home. This can mostly take place without problems, except for Christians who are members of non-registered churches. For converts from Islam the situation is very different. The extended family will often try to take the children of converts away and raise them according to Islamic principles. This is also a problem when one of the parents is not a Christian. • Children of Christians have been harassed or discriminated against because of their parents' faith (Block 2.9 / Score: 3.25 points): Christian children are often insulted for their faith and Muslim children are usually kept from communication with them. Children of converts are seen as outsiders and can experience harassment from other children.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

• Christian children have been pressed to attend anti-Christian or majority religion teaching at any level of education (Block 2.8 / Score: 3 points): Despite the fact that Azerbaijan is secular, lessons in Islam Studies are part of the standard school curriculum and all pupils have to attend. The Muslim environment (family, friends, community) will pressurize children of converts in particular to receive Islamic teaching - sometimes even against the wishes of their parents.

Community sphere:

• Christians have been harassed, threatened or obstructed in their daily lives for faith- related reasons (Block 3.1 / Score: 3.25 points): Threats are very common. Converts are threatened by family, friends and community (including the local imam), and the state constantly threatens members of unregistered churches. • Christians have been monitored by their local communities or by private groups (Block 3.2 / Score: 3.25 points): This is one of the strongest forms of persecution in the country as the state closely monitors non-Orthodox Christians. Likewise, there have been numerous incidents in the WWL 2020 reporting period of locals reporting Christians to the authorities. Converts are of course also monitored by the family and surrounding community. • Christians have been fined for faith-related reasons (Block 3.12 / Score: 3.25 points): This is a common occurrence with regard to practically all churches, with the exception of the Russian Orthodox Church. This is the preferred method of persecution the authorities use to crackdown on these churches, prior to escalating to more severe forms of punishment (raids, imprisonments, closure of churches). • Christians have been interrogated or compelled to report to the local police for faith- related reasons (Block 3.13 / Score: 3.25 points): Known converts will be harassed and interrogated harshly by their family and community. From time to time Christians and church leaders have been called to the police station for questioning.

National sphere:

• Christian civil society organizations or political parties have been hindered or forbidden (Block 4.9 / Score: 4 points): Due to its secular principles, the state will not tolerate the formation of any such Christian organization. Also, the majority of the population is Muslim, so allowing Christian organizations would create societal unrest. Muslims will quickly regard Christian organizations as an attempt to convert people to Christianity and will block this with all means. • International monitoring has been hindered when Christians had to stand trial (Block 4.16 / Score 3.75 points): Azerbaijan is doing its best to create a positive image abroad; it is working hard to impress OSCE, EU and other international organizations. When a negative report about their country is published, the Azeri regime will do its best to attack this. They will claim that international monitoring is possible, but at the same time ensure that much passes unnoticed. • Christians have been forced by law or in practice to act against their conscience (Block 4.3 / Score: 3.5 points): Domestic human rights monitors continued to criticize the government for not offering any form of alternative service for conscientious objectors refusing compulsory military service.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

• Christians have been hindered in expressing their views or opinions in public (Block 4.8 / Score: 3.5 points): Azerbaijan is a . The government perceives public expression of one's beliefs as potentially destabilizing. It will block this. From the Muslim perspective, Christianity is primarily seen as being linked to their arch-enemy Armenia. Apart from this, Muslims consider Christian preaching and evangelism in public undesirable and will obstruct this with all means.

Church sphere:

• Church or Christian organizations have been hindered in printing Christian materials or owning printing presses (Block 5.12 / Score 3.75 points): Registration is required to produce and distribute religious material; but state permission to actually do this is hardly ever granted. • Churches have been hindered in importing Christian materials (Block 5.13 / Score: 3.75 points): Registration is required to import and distribute religious material; but state permission to actually do this is hardly ever granted. • Openly selling or distributing Bibles and other Christian materials has been hindered (Block 5.14/Score 3.5 points): All religious materials are closely watched by the state. Nothing may be used unless special permission has been given. The sale of state-permitted material can be done on a small scale inside a few registered churches. There are no shops for this purpose. • It has been risky for churches or Christians organizations to speak out against instigators of persecution (Block 5.20 / Score 3.5 points): When the instigators of persecution are state agents at any level (which affects practically all Christians except the ROC), it is dangerous to speak out against them. These people have official backing and can more or less act with impunity. Also, since the judiciary in Azerbaijan is not independent, any complaints will result in detention or a fine. Violence The following table is based on reported cases as much as possible. Since many incidents go unreported, the numbers below must be understood as being minimum figures. In cases where it has been impossible to count exactly, a symbolic round figure (10, 100 or 1000) is given. (A symbolic number of 10 could in reality even be 100 or more but the real number is uncertain. A symbolic number of 100 could go well over 1000 but the real number is uncertain. A symbolic number of 1000 could go well over 10,000 but, again, the real number is uncertain.) In cases where it is clear that (many) more Christians are affected, but a concrete number could be given according to the number of incidents reported, the number given has to be understood as being an absolutely minimum figure.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Christian- owned Reporting Christians Christians Christians Churches Azerbaijan houses and period killed attacked arrested attacked shops attacked 01 Nov WWL 2018 - 31 0 2 20 0 3 2020 Oct 2019 01 Nov WWL 2017 - 31 0 17 5 0 0 2019 Oct 2018 01 Nov WWL 2016 - 31 0 40 26 2 1 2018 Oct 2017

Christians killed refers to the number of Christians killed for faith-related reasons (including state-sanctioned executions). Christians attacked refers to the number of Christians abducted, raped or otherwise sexually harassed, forced into marriage to non-Christians or otherwise physically or mentally abused (including beatings and death- threats) for faith-related reasons. Christians arrested refers to the number of Christians detained without trial or sentenced to jail, labor camp, sent to psychiatric hospital as punishment or similar things for faith-related reasons. Churches attacked refers to the number of churches or Christian buildings (schools, hospitals, cemeteries, etc.) attacked, damaged, bombed, looted, destroyed, burned down, closed or confiscated for faith-related reasons. Christian-owned houses and shops attacked refers to the number of houses of Christians or other property (including shops and businesses of Christians) attacked, damaged, bombed, looted, destroyed, burned down, closed or confiscated for faith-related reasons.

In the WWL 2020 reporting period:

• Christians attacked: In northern Azerbaijan members of an illegal church were harassed, questioned, threatened with arrest, and the pastors were fined. • Christians arrested: At least 20 Christians were detained and questioned in Azerbaijan during the reporting period. • Christian homes/shops attacked: A Baptist couple's child in southwest Baku handed out Christian literature at school. This was reported to the authorities and led to the family home being raided and Christian literature seized. A Baptist pastor also had his home raided and Christian literature seized. 5 Year trends The following three charts show the pressure and violence experienced by Christians in the last 5 WWL reporting periods.

Chart 1:

The table below shows that the average pressure has remained constant (except in WWL 2017) at the very high level of between 11.0 and 11.3 points.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

WWL 2016 - WWL 2020 Persecution Pattern history: Average pressure over 5 Spheres Azerbaijan of life

2020 11.2

2019 11.2

2018 11.0

2017 10.3

2016 11.3

Chart 2:

The chart below shows that, in the last few reporting periods, the levels of pressure in all spheres of life have been levelling off at high and very high levels. This levelling-off is particularly high in the Private, Church and National spheres of life.

Chart 3:

Violence against Christians has always been low or very low in Azerbaijan. The chart below shows that, after a noticeable peak in WWL 2018, the scores for violence now appear to be constant at the 1.5 point mark.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Gender profile of persecution Female Pressure Points:

• Abduction • Denied access to social community/networks • Forced marriage • Forced out of home/expulsion • Incarceration by family • Violence – physical • Violence – psychological • Violence – verbal

Azerbaijan is a typical Caucasian country where family traditions and rules are very strict, and disobedience to senior family members is unacceptable. Within this context, women are not free to choose their own religion and will face persecution upon conversion to Christianity. Christian converts from a Muslim background are therefore even more vulnerable to persecution - both as Christians and as women who dare to challenge the existing order. Christian women and girls from a Muslim background are at a greater risk than non-converts of experiencing physical and verbal abuse, harassment, threats, house arrest, discrimination and rejection by family and Muslim community.

The tight structure of society means that conversely, women are also targeted for persecution as a means of inflicting psychological harm on their husbands or other family members.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Female converts in conservative regions run the risk of being abducted and forcibly married to Muslim men, with the aim of forcing them to return to Islam. If already married at the point of conversion, they commonly face divorce from their Muslim husbands.

Male Pressure Points:

• Denied access to social community/networks • Discrimination/harassment via education • Economic harassment via work/job/business • Economic harassment via fines • Forced out of home/expulsion • Incarceration by government • Travel bans/restriction of movement • Violence – physical • Violence – psychological • Violence - verbal

In Azerbaijan, male converts from Islam are at a bigger risk than non-converts of experiencing physical and verbal abuse, harassment, threats, discrimination and rejection by family and Muslim community. Known converts will be harassed and interrogated harshly by their family and community and some have been called to the police station for questioning.

Christian men typically are targeted for their role as heads of their families and the main bread winners. When a Christian man becomes a target of persecution (possibly losing his job) his whole family will suffer. If he is a church leader (who are usually men), the fact that he is suffering persecution will affect his church and can result in an increase of fear among church members. Persecution of other religious minorities Azerbaijan restricts freedom of religion and belief, which is interlinked with freedoms of expression, association and assembly. Officials behave as if the rule of law (including published laws) places no limitations on their actions - for example in mishandling people. Trials for alleged offences often flagrantly lacked due process, including trials taking place without those accused being aware that the trials were happening. Officials do not allow legally or politically binding international human rights standards (to which Azerbaijan is a party) to limit their actions. Azerbaijan has constructed a complex labyrinth of "legal" restrictions on all rights of freedom, prepared for the most part in secret with no public consultation and rushed through parliament. The aim appears to be to impose state control on all activities in society and to make all exercise of human rights dependent on state permission. Every significant change to the Religion Law, the Criminal Code, and the Administrative Code has imposed tighter restrictions on freedom of religion and belief and other freedoms. (Source: Forum 18, Religious freedom survey, November 2018).

There is no focus on any specific religious group - all (Sunni) Muslims, Christians, Jehovah's Witnesses, Jews, Bahais etc. experience a high level of state surveillance and oppression.

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Examples:

• Two conscientious objectors - both of them Jehovah's Witnesses - failed to overturn their criminal convictions at Azerbaijan's Supreme Court in the capital Baku in April 2019. Both were given one-year suspended jail terms in 2018 and have to live under restrictions. (Source: Forum 18, 1 May 2019) • On 25 June 2019, Azerbaijan's Supreme Court rejected Muslim theologian Elshad Miri's appeal against the state ban on publishing one of his books on Islam. Miri is now preparing to lodge a case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg. (Source: Forum 18, 3 July 2019) • A Baku court fined Kamran Huseynzade four months' average wages for selling religious books outside a mosque without state permission. All religious literature is subject to prior compulsory censorship. (Source: Forum 18, 27 September 2019) Future outlook for the church The outlook for Christians as viewed through the lens of:

• Dictatorial paranoia: The current government exerts a very high level of control over the country. Government officials at all levels are the strongest persecutors of Christians in Azerbaijan and have infiltrated all churches. Pastors and other church leaders are regularly questioned by the police. All religious activities are monitored, meetings are raided and religious materials blocked from being distributed. The chances that this situation will change in the near future are very slim indeed. • Islamic oppression: Islam is not the state religion in Azerbaijan, but it is the traditional religion of the large majority of the population, with most Azerbaijani being Shiites. Muslim pressure on Christians is evident in the far-reaching influence of family, friends and community on converts. The chances that this will change in the near future are also as good as non-existent.

Due to the very high level of stability of the two most important Persecution engines in Azerbaijan, the Church in this country will have to brace itself for living under a continued and considerable level of surveillance and pressure. External Links - WWL 2020: Persecution Dynamics • Persecution of other religious minorities: Forum 18, Religious freedom survey, November 2018 - http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2429 • Persecution of other religious minorities: Forum 18 - http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2473 • Persecution of other religious minorities: Forum 18 - http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2490 • Persecution of other religious minorities: Forum 18 - http://www.forum18.org/archive.php?article_id=2509

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Azerbaijan – WWL 2020 Country Dossier – March 2020 update

Additional reports and articles WWR in-depth reports A selection of in-depth reports is available at:http://opendoorsanalytical.org/reports/ (password: freedom).

At the time of publication there were no items specifically for Azerbaijan. World Watch Monitor news articles Articles are available at:https://www.worldwatchmonitor.org/countries/azerbaijan. Recent country developments Up-to-date articles are available at:http://opendoorsanalytical.org/?s=Azerbaijan (password: freedom).

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