Police in Azerbaijan have arrested and tortured over 100 members of the LGBT+ community, according to a video posted to Facebook by German-based activist Javid Nabiyev.
Nabieyv—a member of the Nefes LGBT Azerbaijan Alliance— says he has spoken to activists in Baku who told him how police officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs conducted unprovoked raids on gay and trans people.
Speaking to the camera in front of the rainbow and Azerbaijani flags, Nabiyev says the raids took place on the streets and in private residences. He adds that those who were arrested were allegedly taken to the police station, beaten and charged with drug offences.
“Police shaved the heads of some of the victims,” he says. “They also told me they were forced to give out the contact [details] of their friends…their gay and transgender friends.”
Nabieyv says the arbitrary nature of the arrests has caused widespread fear in the country.
“People are confused, the LGBT community have fears because [the] police has a crazy concept of who might be gay and everybody has fears they might be arrested on the street.”
The Civil Rights Defenders—an organisation based in Sweden— it has also spoken to activists in Baku who confirmed that “the detainees were subjected to beatings, verbal abuse, and forced medical examinations, as well as trans women’s heads being forcibly shaven.”
"Many were released only after giving up the addresses of fellow members of the LGBTI community, who were then in turn arrested and subjected to the same treatment. An undetermined number of those detained have been sentenced to either 20 or 30 days of administrative detention.”
A Ministry of Internal Affairs spokesperson denied that those who were arrested were targeted because of their gender or sexuality.
“In our country, sexual minorities have never been persecuted,” the representative told the news outlet.
“However, this does not mean they are above the law.”
In 2016, Azerbaijan was ranked by ILGA as the worst place in Europe to be gay, just behind Russia and Armenia. Although homosexuality is not illegal, the lack of LGBT+ protections, as well as the number of homophobic and transphobic attacks that take place contributed to the low score.
Although homosexuality is not illegal, the lack of LGBT+ protections, as well as the number of homophobic and transphobic attacks that take have taken place contributed to its low score.
