Officials raid churches, question Christians

Several Christians were targeted by authorities in the town of Sumgait, Azerbaijan, in recent weeks. On May 15, police raided the Sunday morning service of Praise Church, taking place at a local restaurant. The officials wrote down the names of all believers present and took them to the police station. Three days later, two church members were each fined about two weeks' average local wages. That same day, police went to the home of another local pastor and questioned him about his Christian activity.

On May 17, approximately 20 police and officials of the State Committee raided the private home of a South Korean citizen, where members of another church had gathered. Some 60 Bibles and other Christian books were confiscated and those present were taken to the police station, where they were questioned and forced to write statements. At last report, the books had not been returned.

Thank the Lord for the faithfulness of the believers and their desire to worship Him amid opposition. Pray for continued strength for Christians facing charges and harassment from authorities in Azerbaijan. Pray especially for wisdom for church leaders when dealing with opposition. Pray the Lord will continue to spread the gospel in this nation.

For more on the challenges facing followers of Christ in Azerbaijan, go to the Azerbaijan Country Report.

  • Country Information

    Population
    10,420,515 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Azerbaijani (91.6), Lezghin (2), Russian (1.3), Armenian (1.3), Talysh (1.3), other (2.4)

    Religions (%)
    Islam (97.3), Christianity (2.6), other (0.1)

    Leader
    President Ilham Aliyev (2003)

    Government type
    Presidential republic

    Legal system
    Civil law system

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Azerbaijan

    Pray for peace within the hearts of the Azerbaijani people who are living amid political instability. May the country's governmental authorities be willing to grant Christians their fundamental freedoms, enabling them to worship freely and share their faith openly with others of their communities.

Azerbaijan News

  • Fines for Unapproved Religious Meetings
    A group of people are studying together.
    Pray that Christians in Azerbaijan will continue to meet.
    Photo: VOMC Source

    A court in the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhichevan recently fined two local Christians and three visitors from the capital city of Baku for participating in a worship gathering without state permission. The ruling was announced on June 19th, two months after authorities raided the home of a Korean family where the believers had assembled for worship. The court also fined and deported members of the Korean family for hosting Christian meetings in their residence.

  • Christian Community Authorized to Meet After Many Years
    Hamid Shabanov - Photo: World Watch Monitor www.worldwatchmonitor.org
    Pastor Hamid Shabanov
    Photo: World Watch Monitor

    The Baptist community in the village of Aliabad understands what it means to wait patiently. For 25 years, these believers have sought legal status but were repeatedly ignored or denied. Police have regularly raided their church meetings and seized religious literature. Despite the opposition, the church continued to gather for teaching and worship while attempting to get official status.

  • Court Appeals Rejected
    Pastor Hamid Shabanov - Photo: VOM USA www.persecution.com
    Pastor Hamid Shabanov
    Photo: VOM USA

    Pastor Hamid Shabanov has known suffering for more than two decades, as he seeks to lead his church in Aliabad, Azerbaijan. He has been arrested on multiple occasions. For a 2013 report on the fines facing him, see this report. In December 2016, he was fined again for hosting religious meetings without permission. This opposition comes despite the fact that the church has been seeking legal registration since 1994.