Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan's clerical body has criticized a recent assessment of the US government on the situation with religion in the country.
A relevant section of the report released by the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor contained information that was not properly verified and derived from unreliable sources, the State Committee for Work with Religious Associations said.
It said the data on the registration of religious communities did not reflect the real situation and was superficial for the most part. The number of such communities cited by the Bureau was incorrect as well - 611 instead of 426.
The Committee dismissed the allegations on restrictions of religious freedom, saying it was not imposing them on any foreign nationals or religious organizations.
It said further that the broadcasts of programs on religion on TV channels and radio stations had never been halted and the clerical body never interfered with broadcasters' activity.
The Committee said the statements concerning police officials' alleged attacks on religious communities had no merit either. There have been no such instances in the country to date, it said.