Following a raid on a Baptist worship meeting in Neftechala, Pastor Telman Aliev, his wife and all Church members were summoned for police questioning on 23 December and threatened with criminal prosecution. The authorities declared the Church ‘closed’ and confiscated all the books they could find. Officials also asked for the full addresses of all Church members and their ethnicity. The State Committee for Work with Religious Organisations said, ‘Without registration you can't pray. We close any place of worship that isn't registered, including mosques. We don't ban, we just demand documents.’ The Church has applied for re-registration, but its application has not been answered. Exercising the right to freedom of religion or belief without state permission is illegal in Azerbaijan, in defiance of international human rights standards.

Pray: that these restrictions would not hinder the spread of the Gospel in Azerbaijan. (2Th.3:1)

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