9-15-09
A native pastor in Azerbaijan was arrested, fined beyond the legal limit, and is now being threatened with deportation. The reason for this treatment is simple, “He invited friends and neighbours for religious events in his home.”
For allegedly “illegally propagandizing his faith” the pastor reports, “it is 99 per cent certain that they will deport me.” When questioned, the police justified their actions by claiming that the pastor is a religious radical—though they refuse to define or justify that title. They also admitted that those who attended the meeting both knew they were attending a Christian service and went willingly.
The pastor reported that “the police turned everything upside down in my house and accused me of holding illegal books.” They confiscated over 300 books: Bibles, children’s Bibles, and DVDs.
Pray for this pastor as he struggles to pay the fines and may soon be forced to leave his home.
~adapted from Forum 18 News Services
