ALIABAD, Azerbaijan — Baptist pastor Zaur Balaev was sentenced Aug. 8 to two years in prison. The pastor from Aliabad in northern Azerbaijan was convicted of using violence against a state representative and was also accused of holding “illegal meetings under the guise of religious activity without concrete authority and without state registration,” attracting young people to worship services and playing loud music at services.
Azerbaijan’s authorities changed their accusations while Balaev was being held, initially claiming that he set a dog on police during a raid on a Sunday worship service. After more than 50 people signed a written statement testifying to Balaev’s innocence, the dog disappeared from the authorities’ claims and Balaev was instead accused of attacking five policemen and damaging a police car door.
The authorities’ claims are strongly disputed. Prosecution witnesses admitted that they had not witnessed the alleged assault by Balaev. They stated that they had only heard about it from people at the market or at the tea house or because police pressured them into testifying.
“We’re preparing to submit an appeal,” Ilya Zenchenko of the Azerbaijan Baptist Union said. A court official said that Judge Seifali Seifullaev was not available for comments and had been transferred to a new position.
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