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The Azerbaijani government denied re-entry to the country to the only Georgian Orthodox priest (and bishop-designate), Georgian citizen Fr Demetre Tetruashvili. The communities of its two state registered parishes in the northern Gakh Region have been unable to host the liturgy as there was no one to hold it, international organization for freedom of religion or belief Forum 18 writes.

‘’Amil Javadov, head of communications at Azerbaijan's State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations in the capital Baku, told he "can't say" why the only Georgian Orthodox priest cannot return to serve his community,’’ Forum 18 News Service reports.
According to the international organization, the Azerbaijani State Border Service denied re-entry to the country to Tetruashvili, on 21 June. For the past 11 Sundays, people go into the church and pray individually, but without a priest there is no liturgy, no service, a Georgian Orthodox Christian lamented to Forum 18.

Javadov of the State Committee insisted that Forum 18 should ask its question in writing as to why Fr Demetre cannot return to his place of service. Forum 18 put the question in writing. Like Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry, the State Committee had not responded to Forum 18.

Further, the author raises the question about the state registration of religious organizations. No Jehovah's Witness, Baptist or Seventh-day Adventist communities have been able to gain state registration. Only three Protestant communities have been allowed to register (Lutheran, New Life and Word of Life), while many others have had their applications rejected or ignored. Many Sunni Muslim mosques have suffered or been threatened with enforced closure. The State Committee claims that 632 religious communities now have state registration out of an estimated 2,000 in the country. However, the State Committee has not responded to Forum 18's request for a full list,’’ Forum 18 reports.

It is also noted that two female Jehovah's Witnesses and one male Shia Muslim - remain in detention at the National Security Ministry (NSM) secret police Investigation Prison in Baku. The article goes on to say, that Azerbaijan has violated the right of freedom of religion and prohibited the distribution of religious literature.

Forum 18 also touched on the scandalous video, filmed in St George's Church in Kurmukh and the reaction of the Georgian Patriarchate. “ATV defended its filming of "promotional, creative imagery" in a place of worship,’’ the article reads.
On September 7, the Georgian Patriarchate issued a statement in connection with the emerging Internet video, filmed in St George's Church in Kurmukh, located on the territory of Azerbaijan. In the statement, the Patriarchate expressed his indignation on the video and called on the authorities of Azerbaijan and Georgia to investigate this incident.

This video is an announcement of a new season of the Azerbaijani channel ATV. In a short, the plot of the video tells about a man and woman who beat two monks on the heads with a stick. The monks lose consciousness. The man and woman dress up in their clothes and enter the temple. They find some hidden treasures there, after the woman runs away, while the man stays and beat off the clerics, entered to the temple, using the techniques of martial arts. The scenario is going on in the church, which completely disregards the religious feelings of tens of thousands people.