Protestant society refused registration
Ekspress khronika, 5 July 1996
Azerbaijan
The protestant religious society "Word of Life" filed a suit in the Sabail district court against the illegal refusal of registration by the Ministry of Justice. According to one of the ministers of the church, Alexander Neretin, the refusal by the ministry was completely without basis and amoujnts to religious hostility. A. Neretin also stated that the Washington-based Commission for Osbservation of Human Rights gafve a positive evaluation of the activity of the protestant society "Word of Life," recognizing that it manifests absolutely not sectarian or religious fanaticism. In a letter to President Aliev, the speaker of the parliament Guliev, and acting minister of justice Gasanova, the leadership of this commission expressed concern about the baseless refusal of registration for "Word of Life."
On 25 June the Sabail district court under the presidency of Jusde Ziia Aliev routed the suit of the religious society "Word of Life" to the Ministry of Justice. Regarding the reasons for the refusal, a representative of the Ministry, V. Abdullaev, pointed to the negative attitude toward the society by the Committee on Religion of the Cabinet of Ministers and to the incompatability between several points of the constitution of the society and republical legislation.
Representatives of the protestant society and the committee for defense of legality and human rights of Azerbaijan declared their intent to appeal the decision of the Sabail court to a higher court.