A/55/280 enemy forces” with “poisoned minds” who should be “thrown out of Azerbaijan”. renounce religious sectarianism and promise not to continue their activities. 12. In September 1999, the authorities allegedly decided to expel nine members of the Baptist congregation. The Prosecutor's Office is said to have submitted a report supporting this decision. Instead of complying, the employees in question refused to turn away from their chosen path, and even expressed the intention of redoubling their efforts. Following the discussion, the general assembly of plant workers thus took the decision to demand that the director dismiss the six employees who were members of the Jehovah’s Witnesses sect. 13. Azerbaijan replied as follows: The Prosecutor’s Office has announced that, since the beginning of 1999, M. Makarenko, A. Mamedova, A. Makhmoudova, S. Gadjigaribova, G. Nasraddinova and O. Pritouliak, six employees of an Azerbaijani gas refinery, began to practise propaganda activities to promote the religious sect Jehovah’s Witnesses; they distributed religious tracts and tried to convert others to their beliefs. Providing free materials to their colleagues, they organized study groups during working hours, to which they invited other employees. By spreading the ideas, objectives and purposes of their religious sect, they actually created a religious circle. Over time, the religious activities of the above-mentioned company employees became more open. Their participation in religious meetings held behind closed doors were no longer a secret from anyone. On 1 September 1999, the employees of the plant met in a general assembly to consider the activities of the employees who were members of the sect, trying to convince them to give up their illegal and inappropriate activities. Noting that these employees were becoming increasingly separated from the other workers, that they were boycotting the group activities organized by the staff, that they were showing an increasing indifference towards their work and were trying not to form friendships with their colleagues, whom they despised, the workers who spoke up during the meeting said that this demonstrated the harmful effect of the religious sect. With regard to the Jehovah’s Witnesses as a sect, those who spoke also pointed out that they preached nonrecognition of the State, its laws and its symbols, and rejected military service and other civic duties. Some also noted that this sect authorized its members to take part in all sorts of illegal activities and actions promoting destabilization of the State. The General Assembly therefore proposed to the six employees that they should In accordance with articles 70 (y) and 72 (v) of the Labour Code of Azerbaijan, which establishes the penalties for administrative infractions committed by an individual during working hours and on the work premises, the director of the plant decided to dismiss the six employees. After the Procurator’s Office of the Karabakh district in Baku had verified the evidence concerning the activities of the workers who were members of the sect, it was established that the persons in question had actually committed the infractions set forth in article 202, paragraph 1, of the Administrative Code of Azerbaijan, and an administrative action was therefore taken against them. During the inquiry, it also appeared that the activities of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in the district were not limited to the refinery. Among other things, it was established that the members of the sect met regularly in an apartment located in an apartment building in Lokbatan. These meetings, which were also attended by minors, were organized by the occupants of the apartment, Remi and Galina Remiev. In addition to the propaganda that they were spreading at various religious meetings, the members of the sect collected money on the pretext of asking for charity. Administrative action was also taken against Remi and Galina Remiev on the basis of the available evidence. After considering the case, the district administrative committee took the required decisions in the context of administrative actions. On 3 January 2000, the persons against whom the judgements had been made appealed against the administrative committee’s decision of 5