Azeri citizen given 2-year sentence for religious convictionsOctober 20, 2007 - 20:22 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A resident of Aliabad village in Azerbaijan, Zaur Balayev, detained May 20, 2007 under accusation of membership in a Christian Baptist organization, was sentenced to 2 years in prison. Balayev's family members said he was arrested for religious convictions."We live in a country where religious tolerance and liberty of conscience are established. Our state legislation allows citizens to practice any religion and propagandize it. Alas, Zaur was arrested for religious convictions. Later he was charged of resisting police and sentenced to 2 years in prison," they said. "The Court of Appeal upheld the verdict and we are going to address the head of state," they said. It's worth noting that presently some 80 Baptists live in Aliabad village, APA reports. ![]() ![]() Azerbaijani authorities report that they have already resettled 3,000 people in the Nagorno-Karabakh town of Stepanakert. On June 10, Azerbaijani President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev will leave for Turkey on a working visit. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. ![]() ![]() Partner news | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |