Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry reports 37 detentions amid protests over school uniform rules excluding hijab, as imprisoned activists ask foreign embassies to protect their families.
Eight imprisoned religious activists in Azerbaijan have asked foreign embassies to grant their families asylum or arrange places for their children at embassy-run schools. JAMnews reported on 23 October that the signatories allege their children face rough treatment and psychological pressure at school because they wear the hijab, a Muslim headscarf.
The appeal follows inspections on 9–12 October during which officials barred female pupils and teachers wearing hijabs from attending classes, according to JAMnews’s 16 October report. Those measures sparked protests.
Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry reported detentions amid protests against new secular school uniform rules that exclude hijab. Religious activists separately claimed a much higher nationwide total.
| Who gave the figure | Number | Scope and status |
|---|---|---|
| Interior Ministry | 37 | Officially reported detentions amid protests against the school uniform rules. |
| Religious activists | Around 400 | Unverified claim of detentions across the country. |
Azerbaijan’s Media and Broadcasting Council dismissed reports in Turkish media and on social media alleging mass arrests for wearing hijab and people leaving Azerbaijan as a result. The council called those reports disinformation.
In the 16 October report, Allahshukur Pashazade, chairman of the Caucasus Muslims Board, defended the government’s position. He said the uniform regulations did not mention hijab and that Azerbaijan had no ban on wearing it. Children could study in hijabs at madrasas, or Islamic religious schools, he said, but a different decision applied to state schools.
Pashazade argued that religion and schooling were separate. He also expressed regret that the authorities had not consulted the board before making the decision.
Alongside their requests for family asylum or embassy-run schooling, the eight imprisoned signatories asked the embassies for help ensuring their own safety in prison.
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