Azerbaijan

The constitution guarantees the right to freedom of religion, but all religious communities are obliged to register, which extremely difficult to do. Unregistered religious activities are punishable, as are religious meetings for childfen, or holding worship meetings at a venue that doesn't have state approval. The law also allows punishment for producing, importing and distributing religious literature that has not passed government censorship, and foreigners who speak of their beliefs to others can be punsihed and deported. It is virtually impossible to put up a new church building. But despite all this, the number of indigenous believers continues to grow and many are active in outreach.

Examples of Persecution:

• In November 2010, police raided a Pentecostal church worship services. Literature was confiscated, the leader of the congregation was taken for questioning, and was ordered to pay a fine.
• In March 2011, three congregation had trouble with the police because they have no registration yet, and they were told to stop meeting together.

Open Doors is: supporting the Church in Azerbaijan to grow through various means, and promoting worldwide prayer for believers in the country.

Please Pray:

• For churches ungergoing the registration process, that the government would grant them registration without complications
• For the distribution of Christian literature within the country