Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 5 / Trend K. Zarbaliyeva /
The religious community of believers of the Narimanov district, the religious community of the Ilahiyat mosque and the religious community of the Shahidlar mosque have not appealed for re-registration.
The term envisaged by the law for religious communities to pass re-registration has expired. During this period the State Committee has not received appeals from these organizations, the State Committee for Work with Religious Organizations Head, Gunduz Ismayilov, told Trend today.
Ismayilov said religious communities, which have not applied to the State Committee for re-registration before Jan. 1, can be closed only via the judicial bodies in accordance with the law.
If indicated religious communities continue their activity, suspension of their activity will be considered in the court, the department head said.
Ismayilov said about 534 registered religious communities might have applied to the State Committee to pass re-registration before Jan. 1 in accordance with additions and changes to the law 'Freedom of Conscience'.
After these changes were made to this law, over 600 religious communities applied to the organization for re-registration and initial registration.
After a new law was adopted, about 120 religious communities passed re-registration and initial registration. Appeals of the rest religious organizations are under consideration.
During a spring session of the Azerbaijani Parliament, additions and changes were made to the law 'Freedom of Conscience'.
According to the additions, Article 18 of the Azerbaijani Constitution bans the spread and propaganda of religions humiliating human dignity or contradicting principles of humanity. All religious communities can act only after they have been registered with the relevant bodies of the executive power and included in the state register of religious organizations.
Roughly 102 religious communities were registered in Azerbaijan in 2008. The number of religious organizations has reached 534 in Azerbaijan.