Kwakungumhlangano wokukhulekela ekuseni ngeSonto. Kulelo gumbi eBaku, e-Azerbaijan, kwakunamadoda, abesifazane nezingane abangaba ngu-200 ababelalele inkulumo yeBhayibheli.

Amaphoyisa angena ngendlov’ iyangena, elandelwa yizikhulu zeziphathimandla nabezindaba ababephethe amakhamera. Amaphoyisa awagcinanga nje ngokuphazamisa lo mhlangano woFakazi BakaJehova kodwa ashaya namadoda ambalwa, asesha indawo ngaphandle kwemvume, athuka ababekhona futhi athatha imali, ama-computer nezincwadi zeBhayibheli zebandla. Amaphoyisa abopha oFakazi abaningi abayisa esiteshini samaphoyisa futhi abagcina khona amahora amaningi. Izikhonzi eziyisithupha ezivela kwamanye amazwe zavalelwa izinsuku ezimbalwa zase zixoshwa kuleli zwe. Izithombe zethelevishini ezazibonisa lesi sehlakalo zabehlisa isithunzi oFakazi.

Lezi zenzakalo zango-December 24, 2006, zaba isizathu sokuba oFakazi BakaJehova bafake isikhalazo sokuqala eNkantolo YaseYurophu Yamalungelo Abantu (i-ECHR) ngokumelene ne-Azerbaijan. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, oFakazi bafake ezinye izikhalazo ezingu-18 kuyi-ECHR ngenxa yokuphucwa inkululeko engokwenkolo.

Izikhalazo eziphathelene ne-Azerbaijan ezithunyelwe kuyi-ECHR, kusukela ngo-January 31, 2014

Izibonelo ezilandelayo zibonisa ezinye zezinkinga oFakazi BakaJehova ababhekana nazo e-Azerbaijan nezibenze bathumela izikhalazo kuyi-ECHR.

• Ukwenqatshelwa Ukuphinde Babhaliswe

  Inkolo YoFakazi BakaJehova yabhaliswa okokuqala eBaku ngo-December 22, 1999, yaphinde yabhaliswa ngo-February 7, 2002 yi-State Committee for Work with Religious Associations (i-SCWRA). Ngo-2009, uhulumeni wase-Azerbaijan washintsha uMthetho Wenkululeko Engokwenkolo futhi watshela wonke amasonto ukuba aphinde abhalise. Inkolo YoFakazi BakaJehova yafaka isicelo sokubhaliswa, kodwa i-SCWRA yasenqaba isicelo sayo ngenxa yesizathu esithile esingaqondakali. Nakuba uhulumeni ungazange ubenqabele ukuba babhaliswe ngo-2002, uyenqaba ukuba baphinde babhaliswe ngaphansi komthetho omusha ophathelene nenkolo.

• Ukuphathwa Kabi Nokuhlukunyezwa Amaphoyisa

  OFakazi BakaJehova bahlangana masonto onke emakhaya abanye oFakazi ukuze bakhulekele. Ezikhathini eziningana, amaphoyisa angene ngendlov’ iyangena ezindlini zabo aphazamisa le mihlangano ngaphandle kwemvume engokomthetho. Aye abaphatha kabi laba abasuke bekule mihlangano, abavalela amahora amaningi esiteshini samaphoyisa futhi athatha izincwadi abazisebenzisayo lapho bekhulekela. Abanye oFakazi baye bahlawuliswa izizumbulu zemali. Ngo-2011, oFakazi abayisithupha eGanja baboshwa futhi bahlawuliswa imali engaba ngu-R120 000 ngoba beye baba nomhlangano ongagunyaziwe uhulumeni. Ukusesha kwamaphoyisa kwakamuva kube ngo-January 11 nango-March 2, 2014.

• Ukuhlolwa Kwezincwadi

  I-Azerbaijan iwukuphela kwelungu loMkhandlu WaseYurophu * elinesimiso esiphoqelelayo sokuhlola izincwadi zenkolo, okumelene nomthetho-sisekelo wayo. * Inani lezincwadi zeBhayibheli oFakazi abazithola kwamanye amazwe oMkhandlu WaseYurophu lingase lincishiswe noma zivinjelwe lapho sezihloliwe. Izincwadi ezivinjelwe zihlanganisa amakhophi amaningana e-Nqabayokulinda, okungumagazini woFakazi okhishwa kabili ngenyanga. * Izinkantolo zase-Azerbaijan zizichithile izikhalazo zoFakazi zokuhlolwa kwezincwadi okwenziwa i-SCWRA.

Izindikimba eziningana zamalungelo abantu emazweni ahlukahlukene ziye zahlolisisa futhi zaphawula ngalokho ezikubonile emthethweni ophathelene nenkolo wase-Azerbaijan nendlela abantu abasontayo abaphathwa ngayo.

• Umbiko Waminyaka Yonke Ka-2013 weKhomishane Yase-United States oqondene neNkululeko Engokwenkolo Emhlabeni uthi: “Naphezu kokuzisholo kukahulumeni wase-Azerbaijan ukuthi uyabonelela, isimo senkululeko engokwenkolo sibe sibi nakakhulu, ikakhulukazi ngemva kokukhishwa komthetho wakhona ovimbelayo ophathelene nenkolo ngo-2009.”

• Umbiko we-European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (i-ECRI) uzwakalise ukukhathazeka okukhulu ngemithetho evimbelayo ebekelwe izinkolo. Ngokuqondene nomthetho wenkolo wase-Azerbaijan, uthi: “I-ECRI iyala ngokuqinile iziphathimandla zase-Azerbaijan ukuba zivumelanise imithetho yazo . . . nezimfuneko zeSivumelwano SaseYurophu Ngokuqondene Namalungelo Abantu.”

• I-Council of Europeʹs Venice Commission ikhiphe imiyalo enemininingwane yokuba kushintshwe uMthetho Wase-Azerbaijan Wenkululeko Engokwenkolo. Yathi: “Lo Mthetho ubonakala unemingcele eminingana ephambene nemithetho yakwamanye amazwe. . . . Iziqondiso eziphathelene nezindaba ezisemqoka njengalezo ezithinta umthetho ngokwawo nalabo abazuza elungelweni lenkululeko engokwenkolo nekanembeza, ukubhaliswa, ukuzimela-geqe nokuvalwa kwamasonto; ukwenqaba ukuya empini ngenxa kanembeza, indaba yokuguqukela ebuKristwini, izincwadi ezikhuluma ngenkolo nokusakazwa kwazo kufanele zithuthukiswe.”

OFakazi BakaJehova emhlabeni wonke bayazisa kakhulu inkululeko yokukhuluma, yokuhlangana, kanembeza nengokwenkolo. Bayabazisa ohulumeni ababavumela ukuba basebenzise la malungelo. Iqembu elincane loFakazi abangu-2 500 nalabo abakhulekela kanye nabo e-Azerbaijan linethemba lokujabulela inkululeko engokwenkolo njengezinye izinkolo kuleli zwe.