Azerbaijan Parliament Passes Amendments To Law on Religion

News.az reports that on Friday, Azerbaijan's Parliament passed controversial amendments to the country's Law on Religion.  Islamic religious organizations must now report to the Caucasus Muslims Department, while other religious groups must report to the State Committee for Working with Religious Structures or to the Ministry of Justice. Houses of worship can only operate at the legal address registered with the government, and can operate only after appointment of a clergyman by a religious center or the Caucasus Muslims Department.  According to an earlier report by Forum 18, the new law also raises from 10 to 50 the number of founders required to register a religious organization.