Category: 2018

                        GROONG's Calendar of events
                        (All times local to events)

                =========================================
What:           ARS Norian Youth Connect Program
When:           Mar 3 2018 9am
Where:          Columbia University, NY
Misc:           The program is sponsored by the Armenian Relief Society of
                Eastern USA and the Columbia University Armenian Society,
                directed by, Dr. Khatchig Mouradian.
                The program is available to any Armenian college student
                between the ages of 18 and 27 years old. Details to follow.
Online Contact: [email protected]
Web:            
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.arseastusa.org_&d=DwIB-g&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=EYsRuJR4hysCoJAoSoxqQkhFrXxK8rEhwvxvULtAm6I&s=KN9W5E_u4Nptuuz-vtf3gML_Q_ZtyCYSj2EYHANoHYQ&e=

                =========================================
What:           "Finding Home: An Armenian American's Journey to Historic 
Armenia"
                a lecture in English is given by Laura Michael
When:           Mar 11 2018 1pm
                Following Church Divine Liturgy which starts at 10:30am
Where:          Armenian Apostolic Church of Crescenta Valley
                Western Prelacy's Hall, 6252 Honolulu Ave., La Crescenta, CA
Misc:           In June 2017, Laura Michael embarked on an emotional journey
                to her ancestral homeland in eastern Turkey in order to find
                her great-grandparents' former homes. She will also share many
                photos from the trip, explain the role of the Armenian DNA
                Project in a shocking discovery she made.
                Laura Michael is an Armenian-American activist, educator and
                writer who was born and raised in Rhode Island. She received a
                bachelor's degree in Spanish from the University of Rhode
                Island and a master's degree in education from New York
                University. Laura has taught at the K-12 and post-secondary
                levels in Massachusetts and New York and currently lives in
                Los Angeles where she is an English Program Coordinator for a
                local school district.
                The event is free to the public.
Online Contact: [email protected]
Tel:            818-244-9645

***************************************************************************

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        up-to-date.
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*******************************************************************
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© Copyright 2017,  Armenian News Network / Armenian News, all rights reserved.

Regards,
--
Armenian News Network / Armenian News

Los Angeles, CA     / USA

                                        Tuesday, 

Armenian Mining Giant May Rehire Laid-Off Workers


Armenia - Open-pit mining at Teghut copper deposit, 20Dec2014.

A leading Armenian mining company said on Tuesday that it hopes to
resume soon production operations at a large copper mine in northern
Armenia and rehire hundreds of people that worked there until this
month.

The company, Vallex Group, sent the vast majority of its 1,200
employees working at the Teghut deposit on indefinite leave on January
12, citing the need for "planned prophylactic repairs" of the mine's
waste disposal facilities. It announced on February 2 that it will lay
them off due to what it expects to be a "prolonged stoppage" of mining
and ore processing at Teghut.

In its latest statement, Vallex specified that the layoffs cover over
85 percent of its Teghut workforce. But it said it will keep a
skeleton staff of around 300 employees tasked with maintaining
sophisticated equipment and guarding the vast mining site.

The company also said 200 other laid-off workers will be transferred
to other mining enterprises belonging to it. Those include a copper
smelter in the nearby town of Alaverdi and metal mines in
Nagorno-Karabakh.

"The company is hopeful that in case of a favorable course of events
it will manage to restore, within a short period of time, the [Teghut]
staff formed over the years," added the statement. It cited no
possible time frames, saying only that Vallex will be able to "quickly
relaunch production after solving problems facing the company."

The Liechtenstein-registered company announced the layoffs several
months after expressing its intention to significantly increase copper
ore extraction at Teghut. It said on February 2 that it needs to hire
Armenian and foreign consultants for conducting "scientific research"
for that purpose. It did not elaborate.

In recent months, environment protection groups have repeatedly
reported toxic leaks from Teghut's waste disposal dump contaminating a
nearby river. Vallex has denied those reports.

The environmentalists opposed open-pit mining at Teghut even before it
was launched in 2014. They argued, among other things, that the
multimillion-dollar project will lead to the destruction of hundreds
of hectares of rich forest.

Vallex pledged to plant a new and bigger forest in adjacent areas. It
also promised to create 1,300 jobs, build new schools and upgrade
other infrastructure in nearby villages.

The Teghut mine generated over 42 percent of Vallex's total operating
revenue which soared by about 32 percent to $358 million last
year. The mining group benefited from rising international prices of
copper and other non-ferrous metals.

A loan extended by the Russian commercial bank VTB has covered most of
$380 million in capital investments which Vallex claims to have made
in Teghut. The company also tried to secure through VTB a $62 million
credit from a Danish pension fund for buying Danish mining equipment.

Denmark's Export Credit Agency (EKF) initially agreed to guarantee the
export credit. However, EKF withdrew the guarantee in October,
accusing the Teghut operator of failing to comply with environmental
standards.



Armenian Government Plans More Borrowing In 2018


 . Sargis Harutyunyan


Armenia - Finance Minister Vartan Aramian attends a parliamentary
hearing in Yerevan on the Armenian state budget for 2017, 31Oct2016.

Armenia's public debt is continuing to rise in absolute terms despite
its government's plans to sharply cut back on borrowing this year.

The total amount of the government's and the Central Bank's
outstanding debts rose by $123.5 million to almost $6.9 billion last
month. Low-interest loans extended by the World Bank, the
International Monetary Fund and other multilateral institutions
account for most of this figure.

According to official estimates, the government's debt was equivalent
to 55.4 percent of Armenia's Gross Domestic Product at the end of last
year. Finance Minister Vartan Aramian said in December that the
government will cut this ratio to 54.4 percent by the end of 2018.

Aramian told RFE/RL's Armenian service (Azatutyun.am) late last week
that the government is planning to obtain around $360 million in fresh
loans this year to finance the state budget deficit. "This is a
substantial decrease from last year," he stressed.

The Armenian public debt rose by $863.5 million in 2016 and 832.5
million in 2017. It stood at $1.9 billion before the 2008-2009 global
financial crisis that plunged the county into a severe recession.

Artak Manukian, an independent economist, noted that the debt grew
faster than the Armenian economy last year. He said this fact is
raising questions about "the qualitative aspect" of economic growth
which accelerated to 6.7 percent in 2017, according to official
statistics.

Annual government spending on debt servicing is expected to peak at
$736 million in 2020. A senior Finance Ministry official said in late
December that $307 million is due to be spent on debt repayments this
year. The sum is equivalent to roughly 10 percent of overall public
spending envisaged by the 2018 budget.



Yerevan Council Session Marred By Violence


 . Anush Muradian


Armenia - Marina Khachatrian of the opposition Yerkir Tsirani party is
confronted by pro-government members of Yerevan's municipal assembly,
.

A session of Yerevan's municipal council descended into chaos on
Tuesday as three of its female opposition members scuffled with
pro-government colleagues while trying to stage an unusual protest
against Mayor Taron Markarian.

Zaruhi Postanjian, an outspoken opposition politician, and two other
council members representing her Yerkir Tsirani party brought to the
council auditorium glass containers filled with sewage collected from
a damaged sewer pipe in the city's Nubarashen suburb. A group of angry
local residents blocked a road there on Monday to demand that
municipal authorities quickly fix the problem.

Shortly after the regular session got underway, two Yerkir Tsirani
councilors put on gloves, took up the foul-smelling containers and
walked towards the assembly podium occupied by Markarian to present
him with what they called a "gift from Nubarashen residents." They
were confronted by a group of angry councilors representing the ruling
Republican Party of Armenia (HHK).

The two sides scuffled and shouted insults at each other in ensuing
chaotic scenes. Members of Yelk, a less radical opposition group also
represented in the council, tried in vain to separate them.

One of the Yerkir Tsirani councilors, Marina Khachatrian, slapped a
male colleague from the HHK, Edmond Kirakosian, after being jostled by
him. Kirakosian slapped Khachatrian in the face while another HHK
member pulled her hair in response. Another government loyalist
grabbed her around the waist and forcibly dragged her away moments
later.


Armenia - Zaruhi Postanjian (L) and two other members of her Yekir
Tsirani party stage a protest at a session of Yerevan's municipal
council, .

The two other women were also forced out of the council room before
Markarian interrupted the session. The mayor's allies defended the use
of force against them. One of them, Naira Nahapetian, claimed that the
Yerkir Tsirani action was an "attack on Taron Markarian."

"We too condemn the use of force and nobody can use force here," the
mayor said for his part.

Postanjian and her two associates remained defiant when the session
resumed after the emergency break in the presence of police officers
called in by Markarian. By contrast, journalists were barred from
returning to the chamber without any clear explanation.

"That foul smell will accompany you wherever you go," Postanjian told
the pro-government majority. "Even your expensive perfume and cognac
won't save you. You can't suffocate from foul smell. But you must be
poisoned. We are going to poison your lives."

Yerkir Tsirani won 5 seats in Yerevan's 65-member council in municipal
elections held in May. The party set up a year ago effectively lost
two of those seats as a result of defections. Postanjian and the two
other women have frequently clashed with Markarian and his allies
during council sessions.

They also have uneasy relations with Yelk, which holds 14 council
seats. Postanjian has branded Yelk as President Serzh Sarkisian's
"clients."



Press Review



"Zhamanak" says that the U.S., Russian and French co-chairs of the
OSCE Minsk Group had Azerbaijan in mind when they called for
additional measures to boost ceasefire in the Nagorno-Karabakh
conflict zone after ending a fresh regional tour on Sunday. "It is
evident that [Azerbaijani President Ilham] Aliyev is in a sort of
diplomatic deadlock and his aggressive steps reflect that, rather than
his self-confidence," writes the paper. Even so, it says, Aliyev still
gets away with keeping tensions on the frontlines high and making
anti-Armenian statements. The Armenian diplomacy should have ensured
more explicit international criticism of his actions, it says.

Interviewed by "168 Zham," a German political analyst, Uwe Halbach,
sees "some positive notes" in the co-chairs' latest statement. He
argues that the mediators described the current situation along the
Karabakh "line of contact," deplored inflammatory statements and
mentioned the pre-election periods in Armenia and Azerbaijan. "Of
course the statement wasn't targeted, for which it is criticized by
many people," says Halbach. "But many others see a rational
negotiation process. I personally find this approach positive."

"Zhoghovurd" says there is now little doubt that President Serzh
Sarkisian will become prime minister after the end of his final
presidential term on April 9. Despite this, the paper says,
representatives of the ruling Republican Party of Armenia (HHK) remain
coy about his political future in their public statements. "The
Republicans' behavior is surprising, to put it mildly," it
says. "After all, there is no point in prolonging the game so much,
especially given that the authorities' intentions were already clear
several years ago."

"Haykakan Zhamanak" says public statements made by the presidential
candidate Armen Sarkissian these days "totally correspond to Serzh
Sarkisian's wishes." "[Sarkissian] has spoken a lot but in essence
said little so far," explains the paper. "More importantly, he is
giving no indications that he is unhappy with that Serzh Sarkisian is
taking away from the future president what little powers they were
supposed to have." It goes on to claim that the post of president of
Armenia will become "the most uninteresting, the most dull and the
most meaningless" in the world.

(Tigran Avetisian)


Reprinted on ANN/Armenian News with permission from RFE/RL
Copyright (c) 2018 Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Inc.
1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
www.rferl.org

FORUM 18 NEWS SERVICE, Oslo, Norway
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0Ysu52GWyIjXXKr-6F3LvdQbidqlqaSkDXoZSH41iXk&s=AFpgDD0dFUgVBz_HhJpJvYGolBshKIfEbklDcFL8pX8&e=

The right to believe, to worship and witness
The right to change one's belief or religion
The right to join together and express one's belief

=================================================

Tuesday 
AZERBAIJAN: STATE'S THEOLOGICAL REVIEW BANS BOOK ON ISLAM

The State Committee for Work With Religious Organisations - which
implements the state's prior compulsory censorship of all religious
literature - banned a book on Islam by Sunni Muslim theologian Elshad Miri.
An official deemed it "unsuitable for publication" because he disagreed
with it theologically.

AZERBAIJAN: STATE'S THEOLOGICAL REVIEW BANS BOOK ON ISLAM
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2351&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0Ysu52GWyIjXXKr-6F3LvdQbidqlqaSkDXoZSH41iXk&s=WBJ_DAa2m30arWx2fElIf6GyCRyppTn2sISrdrHfq0s&e=
By Felix Corley, Forum 18

The State Committee for Work With Religious Organisations has banned a
so-far unpublished book on Islam by prominent Sunni Muslim theologian
Elshad Miri. The State Committee conclusion that Miri's book is "deemed
unsuitable for publication" and could therefore "have a negative influence
on religious stability" is based entirely on theological objections to his
interpretation of his faith, Forum 18 notes.

Miri complained to Forum 18 that the ban on his book was based on
"subjective considerations". He also condemned the system of state
censorship of religious literature. "I think that in a world where media
exist on the internet, it is not right to forbid anyone to think freely,"
he told Forum 18. The official who wrote the review refused to speak to
Forum 18 (see below).

Following a police and State Committee raid on her shop in the capital
Baku, yet another bookseller has been fined for selling religious books
without state permission. Ruhiyya Mehdiyeva was fined about four months'
average wage on 1 February (see below).

Religious censorship appears to take a lot of State Committee attention.
"One of the main directions of our activity is to prevent the spread of
unauthorised religious literature," a Deputy Chair of the State Committee,
Siyavush Heydarov, told the local Trend news agency in January 2017 (see
below).

In 2017 the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg asked the
Azerbaijani government to respond in several Jehovah's Witness cases where
the State Committee banned the import of their publications or police and
the courts detained and punished individuals for distributing religious
literature "illegally" (see below).

Complete religious literature censorship

All religious literature produced in, published in (including on the
internet) or imported into Azerbaijan is subject to prior compulsory
censorship. When the State Committee does give permission to publish or
import a work it also specifies how many copies can be produced or
imported. All religious materials sold must have a sticker noting that they
have State Committee approval. State officials have repeatedly denied that
this represents censorship (see F18News 1 October 2015
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2107&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0Ysu52GWyIjXXKr-6F3LvdQbidqlqaSkDXoZSH41iXk&s=mJJWvM6P_93l7H8YS0xW6OfkfypHf2ibxYOtfa0XAQg&e=>).

"One of the main directions of our activity is to prevent the spread of
unauthorised religious literature," a Deputy Chair of the State Committee,
Siyavush Heydarov, told the local Trend news agency on 27 January 2017.

The Old Testament, the 14-volume "Risale-i Nur" (Messages of Light)
collection of writings by the late Turkish theologian Said Nursi, and
several Jehovah's Witness publications were included on a police list of
alleged "banned" religious literature, based on State Committee "expert
analyses" (see F18News 6 May 2014
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D1955&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0Ysu52GWyIjXXKr-6F3LvdQbidqlqaSkDXoZSH41iXk&s=At3_inpAZ2i853iFLBCZzsZOoKmJ50gH21Y-09gBB0w&e=>).

Religious literature and other materials can be sold or distributed only at
specialised outlets which have been approved both by the State Committee
and the local administration. People who sell religious literature and
materials without such permission are routinely fined (see F18News 10 May
2017 
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2278&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0Ysu52GWyIjXXKr-6F3LvdQbidqlqaSkDXoZSH41iXk&s=l1jBKJtMNTOX5-J4ihQoe_AO9Fy2sM4YhweybCoX7oA&e=>).

Another banned religious book

The prominent Baku-based Sunni Muslim theologian and journalist Elshad Miri
handed over the text of his book "Things Not Existing in Islam" to a
publisher on 15 January, he told Forum 18 from Baku on 12 February. The
book covers seven of what he regards as myths about what Islam teaches.
Chapters include "There is no magic in Islam" and "There is no child
marriage in Islam".

In line with the state's censorship requirements, the publisher then handed
the text of Miri's book to the State Committee for approval.

"No [religious] book can be published without the State Committee's
approval," Miri lamented to Forum 18. "No printing house can print any
religious book without this permission."

"Expert analysis" is theological analysis

On 2 February, the State Committee banned Miri's book on Islam in a
one-page document signed by Chief Specialist Namiq Jiriyev (and seen by
Forum 18). Jiriyev, who studied Islam in universities in Izmir and Baku
between 1998 and 2003, has worked for the State Committee since 2008.

"The author's superficial approach to the questions, his failure to refer
to classical sources on the issues, his showing as sources ayahs [verses of
the Koran] or hadiths [sayings attributed to the Muslim prophet Muhammad]
that in most cases are irrelevant are evidence that he does not know the
views of scholars on these issues," Jiriyev claimed in his analysis.

"One of the most problematic aspects of the book is that it casts doubt on
the innocence of the prophets, something that is accepted by all religious
scholars," Jiriyev added. "The author makes persistent reference to the
outward meaning of some ayahs and says that the prophets, especially the
prophet Muhammad, sinned and made mistakes."

Jiriyev also questions Miri's "personal approach" in saying that
descendants of Muhammad through his daughter Fatima cannot be considered
sayyids. Jiriyev also objects that Miri rejects giving sayyids a privileged
position in society. "The latter sections of the book reject the approaches
taken by many religious scholars."

Jiriyev's conclusion is brief. "The investigation found ideas in the book
that could have a negative influence on religious stability in the country.
The book is, therefore, deemed unsuitable for publication."

Jiriyev refused to discuss his ban on Miri's book. As soon as Forum 18 had
introduced itself on 13 February he put the phone down. Subsequent calls
went unanswered.

Miri told Forum 18 he had learnt about the ban only on the evening of 5
February after he returned from the Far East. He went to the State
Committee the following day, where he met the head of the "Expert Analysis"
(Censorship) Department, Nahid Mammadov, and one of the State Committee
Deputy Chairs.

On 8 February Miri posted a 48-minute video on YouTube, detailing his
objections to the State Committee ban on his book
(<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.youtube.com_watch-3Fv-3DM8TSAz2uqSY-26t-3D176s&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0Ysu52GWyIjXXKr-6F3LvdQbidqlqaSkDXoZSH41iXk&s=YOsHzLVhf5AuNGY62F8bfaMJPKE5s2DTsIadkPoMe1g&e=>).

"It is not right to forbid anyone to think freely"

Miri objected to both the specific ban on his book, as well as to the
system of state censorship of religious literature, he told Forum 18.

"I objected to the ban on the book due to an expert's negative commentary
on subjective considerations," Miri told Forum 18. He added that in his 6
February meetings with State Committee officials, he mentioned "the
absurdity of an ordinary theologian's review of the work of a person who
spent a number of years studying this discipline". He also complained to
them that Jiriyev, who signed the State Committee review, admitted that he
had not read the whole book.

Moreover, Miri told the State Committee officials "it is not correct to ban
a book I wrote in a country which does not [officially] have censorship". 

And Miri believes state censorship is wrong. "I think that in a world where
media exist on the internet, it is not right to forbid anyone to think
freely," he told Forum 18.

Miri said he has not posted the text of his book on the internet, as he
could then be accused of distributing a banned book.

Punishments

Prosecutors can bring cases against those who violate the state censorship
of all religious literature under both the Criminal Code and Administrative
Code.

Criminal Code Article 167-2 punishes: "Production, sale and distribution of
religious literature (paper and electronic formats), audio and video
materials, religious items and other informational materials of religious
nature with the aim of import, sale and distribution without appropriate
authorisation".

Punishments under Criminal Code Article 167-2 for first time offenders
acting alone are a fine of between 5,000 and 7,000 Manats or up to two
years' imprisonment. Such an "offence" by a group of people "according to a
prior conspiracy", by an organised group, by an individual for a second
time or by an official would attract a fine of between 7,000 and 9,000
Manats or imprisonment of between two and five years.

Administrative Code Article 516.0.2 punishes "Selling religious literature
(printed or on electronic devices), audio and video materials, religious
merchandise and products, or other religious informational materials, which
have been authorised for sale under the Religion Law, outside specialised
sale outlets established with the permission of the relevant government
authority distributing religious literature, religious objects and
information material without State Committee permission".

Punishment under Article 516.0.2 entails confiscation of the literature,
merchandise and products or other materials concerned. Additional
punishments under Article 516 are: for individuals fines of between 2,000
and 2,500 Manats; for officials fines of between 8,000 and 9,000 Manats;
for organisations fines of between 20,000 and 25,000 Manats; and for
foreigners and stateless persons fines of between 2,000 and 2,500 Manats
with deportation from Azerbaijan

Bookseller raided, fined

On 17 January, police officers (including from the 13th Police Station) and
State Committee officials raided the Ansar shop in Baku's Sabunchu
District, the Interior Ministry noted on its website the same day. They
searched the shop and seized 400 religious books which had not undergone
state censorship by the State Committee. State Committee officials prepared
a record of an offence against the shop owner, Ruhiyya Mehdiyeva, under
Administrative Code Article 516.0.2.

The head of Sabunchu Police's 13th Police Station was out of the office
when Forum 18 called on 12 February, the duty officer said. He claimed not
to know about the raid on the Ansar shop. "I don't know who here was
involved - it wasn't me," he said.

The official who answered the phone of the Baku representative of the State
Committee Anar Kazimov told Forum 18 on 13 February that Kazimov was out of
the office. Asked why State Committee officials had taken part in the raid
on the Ansar shop and prepared the case for court, the official repeatedly
said "I don't know" and put the phone down.

On 1 February, Judge Ziya Shirinov of Sabunchu District Court found
Mehdiyeva guilty of violating Administrative Code Article 516.0.2, the
Court chancellery told Forum 18 on 12 February. The Judge fined her the
minimum of 2,000 Manats. This is equivalent to about four months' average
wages for those in formal work. The Court said Mehdiyeva has not appealed
against her punishment.

Jehovah's Witnesses challenge censorship internationally

After the State Committee banned a number of Jehovah's Witness publications
from being imported into the country, the community tried to challenge
these denials through the local courts. Such challenges failed.

Jehovah's Witnesses have lodged four challenges to the European Court of
Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg over Azerbaijan's state religious
censorship, as well as another to the United Nations Human Rights
Committee.

On 31 October 2017, the ECtHR asked Azerbaijan to respond to claims in the
case of Arif Tagiyev and Others, including Baku's Jehovah's Witness
community (Application No. 66477/12) that their rights had been violated by
seven State Committee decisions between October 2010 and May 2011. These
decisions had restricted the numbers of copies Jehovah's Witnesses could
import of some publications and completely banned others. Azerbaijan had
until the end of January 2018 to submit its response.

Jehovah's Witnesses have also brought cases to the ECtHR over fines on
individuals for offering religious literature to others while they share
their faith with them.

On 18 May 2017, the ECtHR asked Azerbaijan to respond to claims in the case
of Nina Gridneva (Application No. 29578/11) that her rights had been
violated when, in 2010, police in Baku stopped her while offering religious
literature on the street, seizing the literature, and a court subsequently
fined her for "illegal" religious literature distribution (see F18News 10
December 2010 
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D1520&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0Ysu52GWyIjXXKr-6F3LvdQbidqlqaSkDXoZSH41iXk&s=TMrN4WAx9CJ5snPx8dqFX1CERaIlS1jDvUaCtWNV2DQ&e=>).
Azerbaijan had until mid-August 2017 to submit its response.

On 30 August 2017, the ECtHR asked Azerbaijan to respond to claims in the
case of Famil Nasirov and six others (Application No. 58717/10) that their
rights had been violated in three separate incidents in 2010 in Baku,
Agstafa and Sumgait [Sumqayit]. In all three incidents, police stopped
individuals as they were sharing their faith from door to door and seized
religious literature. Courts initially fined the individuals for
"illegally" distributing banned religious literature, although most of
these fines were overturned on appeal. (END)

For background information see Forum 18's Azerbaijan religious freedom
survey at 
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D2081&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0Ysu52GWyIjXXKr-6F3LvdQbidqlqaSkDXoZSH41iXk&s=uThBW1ydEJjMuub8PqphsIHiCnMaqe6XCR-iKTVoAQk&e=>.

More coverage of freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Azerbaijan is
at 
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_Archive.php-3Fquery-3D-26religion-3Dall-26country-3D23&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0Ysu52GWyIjXXKr-6F3LvdQbidqlqaSkDXoZSH41iXk&s=YFWFc5eXWzTvRjidslrKvpQPIGlW6uzrphQ9_0iT1JQ&e=>.

A compilation of Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe
(OSCE) freedom of religion or belief commitments can be found at
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_Archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D1351&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0Ysu52GWyIjXXKr-6F3LvdQbidqlqaSkDXoZSH41iXk&s=Q08yZjCeNaUeOx2Ys1lKIHff_jR0oUWYGXr_mssj1Ww&e=>.

For a personal commentary, by an Azeri Protestant, on how the international
community can help establish religious freedom in Azerbaijan, see
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.forum18.org_Archive.php-3Farticle-5Fid-3D482&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0Ysu52GWyIjXXKr-6F3LvdQbidqlqaSkDXoZSH41iXk&s=tVJQ6m5JrpQL7Rd6IA7LsbunrJyk2_ZcbYrS3k-hNlw&e=>.

A printer-friendly map of Azerbaijan is available at
<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__nationalgeographic.org_education_mapping_outline-2Dmap_-3Fmap-3DAzerbaijan&d=DwIBaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=0Ysu52GWyIjXXKr-6F3LvdQbidqlqaSkDXoZSH41iXk&s=1ylJPzpiplrj5zgkKqvdxX1XMtzTTEpHafjh1z5Iz00&e=>.

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