The statement released by the State Department says that eviction of the Mosque community and attempts to the keep the leadership under state control are not justifiable according to international human rights law, or the OSCE principles. (14 August 2004)
Concern
“The seizure of the Juma Mosque, the eviction and replacement of mosque’s imam is the violation of international standards on the freedom of religion,” said Edgar Vazquez, US State Department spokesperson. “We call Azerbaijani government to find the solution of the problem in honor with its obligations on the international standard of the freedom of religion, to restore the Mosque’s rights on congregation. And allow the Juma community to elect its own Imam.”
Police on June 30 evicted the management of the Juma mosque congregation from the premises adjacent to the mosque, enforcing a court ruling that was given on March 1.
Baku’s Sabayil District court convicted the congregation of illegal occupation of the mosque in 1992. However, the Juma congregants dismissed the charge, saying that the court ruling has came as a punishment for human rights activities of the mosque’s imam, Ilgar Ibrahimoglu.
Police interference
Police arrested and later released several Juma congregants, among them female ones as well, for refusing to do namaz (Islamic pray) together with the mosque’s newly appointed imam, Surkhay Mammadov.
Juma Mosque background
The Juma mosque, built in the 15th century, was used as a warehouse and then as a carpet museum under Soviet rules. Its original status was restored only in 1992, after Azerbaijan gained independence from the former Soviet Union.
