Open Doors: In Azerbaijan, Christians are persecuted because of Islamic extremism and dictatorial paranoia
Azerbaijan is one of the 50 countries where Christians face persecution by the government. The list of countries was drawn by the organization dealing with the persecution of Christians, the Open Doors USA.
During the research the organization found out that the main reasons for the persecution of the Christians in Azerbaijan are Islamic extremism and dictatorial paranoia. In particular, the community is depressed by the Islamic radicals, and the pressure on the Church is manifested in the form of governmental restrictions.
The report notes that the Azerbaijani government has taken religion under even tighter control, and the formal verifications are becoming stricter, especially in rural areas.
Unregistered religious activities are punishable by law, and the penalties for violating the law are high. However, in Azerbaijan it is almost impossible to register the Christian church, the report said.
In the report on religious freedom in 2014, in Pontifical Foundation "Aid to the Church in Need" Azerbaijan is also noted as a country where cases of violations of religious freedom are registered. Azerbaijan was mentioned among the 6 countries where there is faith pursue ruling totalitarian regimes. The report was presented at the European Parliament in Strasbourg during the meeting of the working group of the European Conservatives and Reformers on religious freedom.