Pastor Balaev Update and Prayer

Dear Precious Partners in the Gospel,

A few days ago, we asked you to continue praying for Pastor Zaur Balaev in Azerbaijan, as the country’s Supreme Court prepared to hear his appeal on April 1^st.

To review briefly, Zaur had been in prison since last May after being convicted of resisting arrest following a police raid on a church service he was leading. Church leaders say the charges are false.

Last month, Zaur was released as part of a general amnesty by Azerbaijan’s president. However, the amnesty was not a full pardon, and the conviction remains on Pastor Balaev’s record.

On April 1^st, the court granted a hearing to Pastor Balaev, which lasted approximately 20 minutes. Unlike the United States appeals system, which often takes months to reach a decision, the Azeri Supreme Court ruled immediately. The Azeri Supreme Court was being asked to overturn the conviction and clear Zaur’s name. Sadly, the three justices found no violations in judicial procedures and left the conviction intact.

According to Ilya Zenchenko, president of the Azeri Union of Evangelical Christians-Baptists, an appeal of Pastor Balaev’s case will now be drafted for the European Court of Human Rights.

Please continue to lift this matter in prayer. Church leaders are concerned that Zaur will be held in suspicion by the community as long as he is seen as a convicted criminal. Ask for the Lord’s ongoing protection and provision for Zaur and his family. Pray for a change of heart in governmental officials toward evangelical churches. And most of all, pray that these difficult circumstances will lead to open doors for the Gospel, and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Bob Provost
President, Slavic Gospel Association