PRESS RELEASE
Jehovah’s Witnesses
Office of Public Information
25 Columbia Heights
Brooklyn NY 11201
Contact: David Semonian
Tel: 718-560-5600
Fax: 718-560-5619
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES
OFFICE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION
December 29, 2006
Four foreign nationals still held in Azerbaijan, one "deported"
BAKU, Azerbaijan-Five days after the December 24 police raid of a
Jehovah’s Witness religious meeting, four of the foreign nationals who
were illegally detained are still held and have not been presented with
any protocol or official charges. The detainees have been deprived not
only of their liberty but also of access to justice-attempts to reach
the authorities and reconcile the situation are met with claims that no
one is available because of the holiday season. The four remain
effectively under arrest, and merely for the reason that they were
attending a religious service of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Sunday’s raid disrupted a religious service of an officially registered
religious organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses, which approximately 200
persons were attending. The police officers broke down the door to the
auditorium and escorted all those in attendance out of the building. In
the same building there are also offices and living quarters. Without
producing any court order, the police also forced their way into these
areas and began carrying out a search and seizure. Six foreign nationals
were among those forcibly put on a bus and taken to a police station.
Georgian citizen Manuchar Tsimintia was detained while carrying out his
professional duties as a lawyer, although he was not even in attendance
at the religious event. He has since been released. On December 28,
2006, Giorgi Gogichashvili, a visiting minister, was "released" when
friends bought him a train ticket to return to Georgia. However, his
passport was not returned to him until he crossed the border into
Georgia; he was, in effect, deported. The remaining four foreign
nationals have been held for five days, and there is little prospect of
their release over the holiday season.
Back in 1999, referring to an incident in which foreign nationals were
deported from Azerbaijan on religious grounds, then-president Heydar
Aliyev is reported to have stated publicly that "our Constitution
guarantees freedom of conscience and religion, and all rights will be
defended . . . These events will not be repeated." (Translated from
newspaper Azadlyg, of November 10, 1999.)
Media contact: Matthew Kelly +7 812 432 9550
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
