Azerbaijan to imprison for uncensored religious material

BAKU, Azerbaijan — Prison terms of up to five years or maximum fines of nearly nine years’ official minimum wage are set to be adopted by Parliament in mid-November for groups of people who produce or distribute religious literature without going through Azerbaijan’s compulsory prior state censorship of all religious literature.

The punishments are included in proposed amendments to the Criminal and Administrative Codes prepared by the powerful presidential administration and approved by two parliamentary committees Oct. 28.

Parliamentary officials said they are set to be adopted in one reading, probably Nov. 15.

“Insanity is only increasing,” one member of a religious community who asked not to be identified said.