Christianity in Azerbaijan
Christianity is a minority religion in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan is located on the World Watch List 2013 of the aid organization Open Doors at number 38 of the states that Christians follow the most.
Confessions
In 1998, 3.8 % of the population Russian Orthodox. There is a Russian Orthodox Eparchy in Azerbaijan. Furthermore, there is the Orthodox minority of Udinen of about 8000 people as well as 11 municipalities of Molokans.
Only in Nagorno-Karabakh (which is currently occupied by Armenian troops ) there are at least ten, good to less well preserved Armenian Apostolic churches. Also to be found at the historic territory of Nagorno-Karabakh countless khachkar, the typical pillars of the Armenian stone carving.
It is estimated that less than 7,000 Protestants. In addition, Jehovah's Witnesses have there 7 municipalities with 924 members.
The Roman Catholic Church in Azerbaijan is very small, there is only a Roman Catholic community of about 390 members.
Rights situation
The Azerbaijani Constitution grants all religious communities formally religious freedom. However, all religious communities must register. Unregistered Christian communities are thus illegal.
The manufacture, importation or sale of Bibles without explicit approval from the government considered a criminal offense. Often the activities of Christian communities are observed by the State Committee for Religious Affairs or the secret police and controlled.
In May 2009, a new law on religion and related amendments to administrative and criminal law entered into force in Azerbaijan. Religious communities that could not register until January 2010, were no longer accepted. From Christian communities was feared to lose their legal status in case of rejection of the new registration. Since January 2010, no new church received a registration.
End of April 2012 sparked a court in Baku due to the lack of re-registration to the Protestant " Greater Grace Church ".
Swell
- Christianity in Azerbaijan
- Christianity by State