Ahmadis facing persecution, for practicing their faith, in Azerbaijan.
Recently, in Azerbaijan there has been a trend of intolerance where 11 followers of the Ahmedi faith were arrested for openly practicing their beliefs as members of the Religion of Peace and Light.
On the 20th of July, in 2024 in Bakus Fountain Square two individuals who were Ahmedi followers were taken into custody by the authorities for gathering and discussing their beliefs amongst themselves. The court handed them a 30 day prison sentence, on charges of ” behavior”.
The report presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council outlines the challenges that the Ahmadi community encounters in Azerbaijan—a group, with roots in Shia Islam—highlight how they experience discrimination and oppression systematically despite the nations provisions for religious freedom violations, by facing marginalization and the need to hide their beliefs to evade incarceration.
Following the round of arrests, in the areas square two Ahmedi individuals who came back to hand out pamphlets were again detained and handed a 30 day prison term extension. The report details the threats of assault and assaults that the detainees faced during their time, in custody.
Authorities have expanded their inquiry to encompass all practicing followers, in the nation and have reached out to their family members both in Azerbaijan and overseas for information gathering purposes.The intensified scrutiny aligns with changes to Azerbaijans legislation, on religion that aim to enhance oversight of religious groups.
The written statement urges the Azerbaijani government to uphold its constitutional protections for freedom of religion and belief, as well as its international human rights commitments under the UN Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights. It calls for an end to the arrests and persecution of the Ahmadi community for peacefully practicing their faith.
This case highlights the troubling reality that religious minorities in Azerbaijan continue to face severe restrictions on their fundamental rights, despite the country’s legal and international obligations to safeguard religious freedom.
Source https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/gen/g24/172/08/pdf/g2417208.pdf
