Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BAKU591
2008-06-23 10:34:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baku
Cable title:
AZERBAIJANI POLICE DISRUPT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES'
how-toVZCZCXYZ0000 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHKB #0591 1751034 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 231034Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY BAKU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5547 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 2864 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 0985 RHMFISS/CDR USEUCOM VAIHINGEN GE PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000591
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KIRF AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJANI POLICE DISRUPT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES'
SERVICES
REF: BAKU 00097
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Joan Polaschik for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000591
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KIRF AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJANI POLICE DISRUPT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES'
SERVICES
REF: BAKU 00097
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Joan Polaschik for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
1. (C) On June 11, police reportedly broke up a Jehovah's
Witnesses' service in Lokbatan, a Baku suburb. Baku-based
Jehovah's Witnesses representative Leonid Moroz told us
approximately 15-20 uniformed and non-uniformed police
officers raided the service, which was being held in a
private apartment, around 19:30 local time. Moroz said the
police initially detained three male Jehovah's Witnesses, but
the police subsequently returned to the residence and
detained the remaining thirty participants. According to
Moroz, the police beat the three initial detainees and
verbally abused many of the participants, criticizing them
for changing their religion from Islam. All the detainees
were released after being held for several hours. Moroz said
the police confiscated a variety of religious literature,
some of which was returned to the members in the subsequent
days. The police raided the service on the grounds that the
particular religious community was not registered.
2. (C) Moroz noted that a similar incident occurred on June
3, when police disrupted a separate Jehovah's Witnesses'
worship service at a private apartment in a Baku suburb.
Police reportedly detained nine men -- there were
approximately 20 attendees at the gathering -- and held them
for several hours. Moroz said several of the nine men were
beaten and told to return to Islam. The police raided the
service on the grounds that the particular religious
community was not registered.
3. (C) Moroz reported that police in Ganja held a fourteen
year old Jehovah's Witness member and two adult women --
including the younger member's mother -- for several hours at
a police station. The younger member reportedly was sharing
his faith with several Azerbaijanis at a bus station. Moroz
said the police tried to get the detainees to sign documents,
which denounced the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses in
Azerbaijan.
4. (C) Comment: These incidents occur in the broader
context of GOAJ pressure against perceived "non-traditional"
religious groups. One pressure tactic is to disrupt
religious services and then verbally or physically harass
some of the participants. Authorities argue that they are
disrupting illegal religious meetings because the particular
religious community lacks registration. The religious groups
maintain, however, that under Azerbaijani law they should be
able to hold small religious gatherings in private
residences. Some of the religious groups are legally
registered, but the particular private apartment may not have
a stand-alone registration. The Embassy continues to
maintain an active dialogue with the State Committee on Work
with Religious Associations (SCWRA),urging the GOAJ to grant
equal, legal religious privileges to all religious
communities.
DERSE
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/23/2018
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM KIRF AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJANI POLICE DISRUPT JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES'
SERVICES
REF: BAKU 00097
Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Joan Polaschik for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
1. (C) On June 11, police reportedly broke up a Jehovah's
Witnesses' service in Lokbatan, a Baku suburb. Baku-based
Jehovah's Witnesses representative Leonid Moroz told us
approximately 15-20 uniformed and non-uniformed police
officers raided the service, which was being held in a
private apartment, around 19:30 local time. Moroz said the
police initially detained three male Jehovah's Witnesses, but
the police subsequently returned to the residence and
detained the remaining thirty participants. According to
Moroz, the police beat the three initial detainees and
verbally abused many of the participants, criticizing them
for changing their religion from Islam. All the detainees
were released after being held for several hours. Moroz said
the police confiscated a variety of religious literature,
some of which was returned to the members in the subsequent
days. The police raided the service on the grounds that the
particular religious community was not registered.
2. (C) Moroz noted that a similar incident occurred on June
3, when police disrupted a separate Jehovah's Witnesses'
worship service at a private apartment in a Baku suburb.
Police reportedly detained nine men -- there were
approximately 20 attendees at the gathering -- and held them
for several hours. Moroz said several of the nine men were
beaten and told to return to Islam. The police raided the
service on the grounds that the particular religious
community was not registered.
3. (C) Moroz reported that police in Ganja held a fourteen
year old Jehovah's Witness member and two adult women --
including the younger member's mother -- for several hours at
a police station. The younger member reportedly was sharing
his faith with several Azerbaijanis at a bus station. Moroz
said the police tried to get the detainees to sign documents,
which denounced the activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses in
Azerbaijan.
4. (C) Comment: These incidents occur in the broader
context of GOAJ pressure against perceived "non-traditional"
religious groups. One pressure tactic is to disrupt
religious services and then verbally or physically harass
some of the participants. Authorities argue that they are
disrupting illegal religious meetings because the particular
religious community lacks registration. The religious groups
maintain, however, that under Azerbaijani law they should be
able to hold small religious gatherings in private
residences. Some of the religious groups are legally
registered, but the particular private apartment may not have
a stand-alone registration. The Embassy continues to
maintain an active dialogue with the State Committee on Work
with Religious Associations (SCWRA),urging the GOAJ to grant
equal, legal religious privileges to all religious
communities.
DERSE