Pastor Arrested During Church Raid

Azerbaijan mapPastor Zaur Balaev was arrested on May 20 when the police raided a Sunday church service in a private home in the village of Aliabad. According to a May 22 report from Forum 18, the police ordered the congregation to cease meeting together due to lack of registration. Police also demanded that Pastor Balaev accompany them to the local station. When several church members went to the station to enquire about Pastor Balaev, several of them were detained for a short period. One female Christian was severely beaten. Pastor Balaev is currently being held at a local police detention centre. The official reason for his detention is not yet known but police claim that he resisted them during the Sunday raid. Witnesses, however, insist that these claims are false. Authorities have refused to register this church for fifteen years.

Pray that Pastor Zaur will be released. Pray that he and all Christians in Azerbaijan will remain faithful to the task God has given them, knowing that they will receive the crown of life (I Peter 5:1-4).

For more information on persecution in Azerbaijan, click here.

  • Country Information

    Population
    10,420,515 (2023 est.)

    Ethnicity (%)
    Azerbaijani (91.6), Lezghin (2), Russian (1.3), Armenian (1.3), Talysh (1.3), other (2.4)

    Religions (%)
    Islam (97.3), Christianity (2.6), other (0.1)

    Leader
    President Ilham Aliyev (2003)

    Government type
    Presidential republic

    Legal system
    Civil law system

    Source: CIA World Factbook

  • Pray for Azerbaijan

    Pray for peace within the hearts of the Azerbaijani people who are living amid political instability. May the country's governmental authorities be willing to grant Christians their fundamental freedoms, enabling them to worship freely and share their faith openly with others of their communities.

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Azerbaijan News

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