The Azerbaijan-based Martyrs Mosque, which has been renovated since April, is most unlikely to be reopened, Muzaffer Shahin, Religious Affairs Advisor, Turkish Embassy in Azerbaijan, the told APA news agency.

“We hoped to see it opened for Holy Ramadan, but it was not. I cannot say when the mosque will be opened. Most likely it will not happen,” he said.

Gunduz Ismayilov of the State Committee on Religious Affairs of Azerbaijan reported that re-registration of religious communities is in progress in Azerbaijan. The communities are registered in the mosques. The issue of Martyrs Mosque can be considered after the re-registration has been finished.

Interestingly, the Turan news agency reported earlier that the renovation work was only a pretext for the closing of the mosque. The news agency reported that a mosque that was being built in the Yasamal district in Baku was pulled down soon afterwards, a mosque in the Oil Stones district was demolished, and the believers’ access to the Ilahyat mosque in the Yasamal district was restricted.

Attempts were made to pull down the mosques in the Bardin and Evlakh regions. The Azerbaijani authorities do not provide any clear explanations.