Religious Women: "Police Threatened to Strip Us Naked"

Baku, Azerbaijan – Recent months have seen reports of severe police misconduct and human rights abuses targeting protesters and religious women in Azerbaijan. Two distinct incidents, one a protest for a deceased teenager and another a religious gathering, highlight alleged brutality, harassment, and the suppression of dissent by authorities.

Sexual Harassment and Brutality at Elgün Ibragimov Protest

On 1 June 2025, a protest organised under the slogan “Justice for Elgün Ibragimov” near the “28 May” metro station in Baku resulted in numerous detentions and reports of harassment at the Nasimi District Police Department.

Elgün Ibragimov, a 17-year-old schoolboy, died under mysterious circumstances after being found in critical condition in Ganja and later succumbing to his injuries in hospital. Pro-government media suggested suicide, but his family insists he was beaten to death. An official statement claimed he died from injuries sustained in a fall. Social media has circulated accusations that the Prosecutor’s Office is not seriously investigating his death, with some theories suggesting police involvement in his murder.

Protesters arriving at the designated site were approached by plainclothes officers who forcibly snatched their posters and took them to the Nasimi District Police Department. Detainees reported being held for approximately six hours, with officers attempting to convince them that Elgün’s death was a suicide.

Officers were described as aggressive, threatening to "walk all over them like a carpet". One young man reported rough treatment, confiscation of bags and student ID cards, and insults such as "Don’t you have ID, idiot?". Officers shouted at protesters, questioning their right to stage a demonstration.

One female protester reported an officer's comment, "I’ll get in front of you, don’t worry," after a girl tried to stand in front of her. Another shocking incident involved an officer blaming a detained woman for her attire after she reported verbal harassment, asking, "Why do things happen to you and not to other girls?".

Police reportedly demanded phone passwords and accessed detainees' TikTok, WhatsApp, and Instagram accounts.

The number of detainees was estimated between 60 and 70, with at least 63 in the assembly hall. Around 15 were girls, mostly university students, and some boys as young as 16, with one appearing to be only 10 or 13 years old. Minors were held until their parents collected them.

One young woman, despite the ordeal, expressed her unwavering commitment to the cause, stating, "I went to the protest for the youth, for the future, for ourselves—to protect underage children. I don’t regret it. I’ll say just one thing: if it happened again, I would go again".

Religious Women Report Threats of Strip-Searches and Rape

On 15 August 2025, six religious women were detained in Bina after distributing ehsan (charity) in connection with Imam Hussein's 40th day and chanting slogans related to Palestine and injustices in Azerbaijan. They wore Palestinian flags on their arms and shouted "Freedom for Palestine!".

Nigar Bagirova, one of the detained women, stated that police "attacked us, showed violence," and dragged them into vehicles. She alleged that at the police department, officers "threatened to strip us naked and rape us".

The six women, including Nigar Bagirova, Shahla Farajova, and Ayten Ibrahimova, along with one minor and two adolescents, were subjected to 3 months of pre-trial detention by the Khazar District Court. They face criminal charges of robbery by a group and active participation in actions disturbing public order. The investigator's presentation claimed they used sound amplifiers to promote religious hatred, displayed flags, created conflict with passers-by, and attacked two individuals, Elnara Jafarova and Aynura Farajova, with a flag pole, fists, and kicks.

Women reported being forced to sign documents without being allowed to read them. Nigar Bagirova and Ayten Ibrahimova's hijabs were forcibly removed by police, with officers shouting at them.

Ayten Ibrahimova reported being physically assaulted, squeezed between police car doors with children, resulting in bruises on her arms, back, and leg.

Nigar Bagirova and Sharqiyya Sadigova claimed that during searches conducted without a lawyer, police planted religious items, flashcards, and discs that did not belong to them, then confiscated them as if they were personal belongings. They were pressured to pose for photos with these planted items.

Ayten Ibrahimova recounted being mocked and insulted by police officers, who questioned their support for Khomeini and Iran, telling them to "go and live in Iran".

Shahla Farajova was reportedly handcuffed with her children forcibly separated from her. Ayten Ibrahimova, a mother of four, said her children were terrified when police entered her home.

The women stated their protest was against various injustices in Azerbaijan, including "Tartar crimes, veterans' suicides, high prices, lack of child benefits," and accused Ilham Aliyev of "plundering the homeland" and "stealing wealth".

They also protested in solidarity with Palestine due to the lack of aid and child starvation.

Sharqiyya Sadigova, a 3rd-group disabled English teacher, asserted her right to religious freedom, including the desire for hijab in ID photos and allowing children under 14 into mosques for Ashura.

All accused women denied the charges, stating they did not know the alleged victims and did not cause them harm. Nigar Bagirova claimed some of the officially detained women (Khoshgadam Guliyeva, Sharqiyya Sadigova, Arzu Huseynova) were not even present at the ehsan distribution.

The women believe their arrests were pre-planned, noting that "Baku TV" and "Telegram" channels had shared information about them two weeks prior, including videos of Shahla Farajova on "Ar-Rad Info" and "Yagli Khabar" YouTube platform. Meydan TV's inquiries to relevant government bodies, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Prosecutor General's Office, and the Ombudsman, received no response. An advocate for religious rights, Arzu Abdulla Gulzaman, stated that religious ceremonies cannot be considered a crime and that the practice of planting evidence to arrest religious individuals is a common tactic.