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POLICE PREVENT "ILLEGAL" CONFERENCE OF JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES IN AZERI CAPITAL
ITV, Baku,
24 Dec 06
[Presenter] Jehovah's Witnesses attempted to hold an illegal conference
in [Baku's] Xatai district today. The conference was prevented,
as it was illegal, the district police said.
[Correspondent over video of a three-storey building] Jehovah's
Witnesses, who came to Azerbaijan in 1995, have been operating
illegally for a long period. The Azerbaijani branch of the sect is
headed by a Dutch national [name withheld].
Azerbaijan's religious law bans foreigners and those without
citizenship from engaging in religious activity in the country. Some
reports say that the work of the Azerbaijani branch [of Jehovah's
Witnesses] is being supervised by the sect's coordinator in the
central Caucasus [name withheld] who is an Armenian.
Members of the sect hold conferences in third countries on a regular
basis. They are trying to attract people to the sect.
Jehovah's Witnesses attempted to hold such a conference in Baku. Some
foreign citizens had also come to attend the conference.
As the conference was illegal, the Xatai district police prevented it.
The Xatai police said that the activities of the sect prepared the
ground for provocative and sabotage acts in Azerbaijan. The discovery
of some unfamiliar equipment during the search also proved this,
the police said.
[An unidentified police officer shown speaking to reporters] The
equipment found on the lower floor is for keeping contact with foreign
states and for propagating foreign intelligence [as heard].
An investigation is under way. It has been reported by the leadership
as well [as heard].
[Correspondent] The State Committee for Work with Religious Structures
says that Jehovah's Witnesses have been blatantly violating the law
of late. They attract minors by deceiving vulnerable parents.
[Video showed police and a cameraman entering a conference hall,
which is full of people; a police officer detaining a man and taking
him out of the hall; unspecified equipment]
ITV, Baku,
24 Dec 06
[Presenter] Jehovah's Witnesses attempted to hold an illegal conference
in [Baku's] Xatai district today. The conference was prevented,
as it was illegal, the district police said.
[Correspondent over video of a three-storey building] Jehovah's
Witnesses, who came to Azerbaijan in 1995, have been operating
illegally for a long period. The Azerbaijani branch of the sect is
headed by a Dutch national [name withheld].
Azerbaijan's religious law bans foreigners and those without
citizenship from engaging in religious activity in the country. Some
reports say that the work of the Azerbaijani branch [of Jehovah's
Witnesses] is being supervised by the sect's coordinator in the
central Caucasus [name withheld] who is an Armenian.
Members of the sect hold conferences in third countries on a regular
basis. They are trying to attract people to the sect.
Jehovah's Witnesses attempted to hold such a conference in Baku. Some
foreign citizens had also come to attend the conference.
As the conference was illegal, the Xatai district police prevented it.
The Xatai police said that the activities of the sect prepared the
ground for provocative and sabotage acts in Azerbaijan. The discovery
of some unfamiliar equipment during the search also proved this,
the police said.
[An unidentified police officer shown speaking to reporters] The
equipment found on the lower floor is for keeping contact with foreign
states and for propagating foreign intelligence [as heard].
An investigation is under way. It has been reported by the leadership
as well [as heard].
[Correspondent] The State Committee for Work with Religious Structures
says that Jehovah's Witnesses have been blatantly violating the law
of late. They attract minors by deceiving vulnerable parents.
[Video showed police and a cameraman entering a conference hall,
which is full of people; a police officer detaining a man and taking
him out of the hall; unspecified equipment]