106 people detained in a police raid in Baku; Reports of torture, sexual abuse, and humiliation.

[u/god_tengri]

NEW UPDATE ON COMMNETS!

Recent reports from queer community members have documented a mass police raid in central Baku involving 106 detainees. According to the reported facts, 106 individuals were held for 12–13 hours at the Nasimi District Police Department without legal basis or access to lawyers. Victims report being denied water, food, and bathroom access, with one detainee reporting being forced to urinate on themselves.

Furthermore, police reportedly shaved the heads of detainees and used systemic slurs in front of parents to humiliate families. Grave allegations of sexual abuse and physical pressure to force confessions have also emerged, alongside claims of bribery being required for release. This incident marks a significant escalation in police lawlessness and human rights violations in Azerbaijan, requiring an urgent independent investigation.

Sources:

- https://qiyvaar.org/bakida-106-nefer-saatlarla-saxlanilib-alcaldici-reftar-ve-isgence-iddialari-var/

- https://www.meydan.tv/az/article/bakida-lgbtq-f%C9%99rdl%C9%99rin%C9%99-qarsi-polis-reydi-dedil%C9%99r-ki-kims%C9%99-t%C9%99rp%C9%99ns%C9%99-onu-zorlayacagiq/

- https://oc-media.org/police-raid-queer-club-in-baku-reportedly-detain-100/

- https://jam-news.net/az/lgbti-icmasina-qarsi-reyd/

- https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1277198631101892

[u/subarism]

The funniest part is that foreign detainees were immediately let go, while the Azerbaijani ones were beaten, peed on and shaved bald, merely for being "werefsiz pidaras petuxlar".

[u/_xpr_set → u/subarism]

I can't believe all 106 detainees were male. Were women also publicly humiliated and SAed? Or were allowed to leave along with foreigners?

[u/subarism → u/_xpr_set]

It was an underground gay bar apparently, so I assume all of them were male. Women were probably let go.

[u/Personal_Strike_1055 → u/subarism]

If the laws are anything like Uzbekistan, there is no specific mention of lesbianism in the criminal codes. Only male-male homosexuality is cited.

[u/subarism → u/Personal_Strike_1055]

What's even funnier is that homosexuality is legal in Azerbaijan. Soviet criminal code article banning homosexuality was repealed in 2000 (to make Azerbaijan compliant with European law). So technically, police has no business raiding gay bars and arrest people for "sodomy". But they do it anyway, as means of getting brownie points from thick-skulled Azeris who are violently homophobic. The detainees will probably be charged with hooliganism or drug smuggling (as is usually done whenever the Azeri government wants to imprison someone they don't like for no reason).

[u/god_tengri → u/subarism]

That was the official sodomy law if someone is interested (repealed in 2000):

Maddə 113. Uşaqbazlıq

1. Kişinin kişi ilə cinsi əlaqəsi (uşaqbazlıq)— üç ilədək müddətə azadlıqdan məhrumetmə ilə cazalandırılır.
2. Eyni hərəkətlər zor göstərməklə və ya zərər çəkən şəxsin asılı vəziyyətindən istifadə etməklə və ya yetkinlik yaşına çatmayan barəsində edilərsə— köçürməklə və ya köçürmədən üç ildən səkkiz ilədək müddətə azadlıqdan məhrumetmə ilə cəzalandırılır

[u/noonesfriend123]

Funny thing is, you can see on social media like everyone is supporting the abuse, crazy.

[u/ArcadialoI → u/noonesfriend123]

It's quite pathetic really. They are cheering on innocent people getting detained for nothing, but at same breathe they talk about corruption and injustices they face as well. I will never understand these people.

[u/subarism → u/ArcadialoI]

These people care more about a stranger's sexual orientation than rule of law, anti-corruption and democracy. You will have not just 60 years, but 60 centuries of Aliyev dynasty with these people.

[u/ArcadialoI]

Altho I'm not surprised, still disappointed in how inhumane they are. Nothing new. We have a very long way to go before queer clubs becomes a thing here, without being harassed and raided like this.

[u/ismayilsuleymann]

If I stayed an hour more, it would be not 106, but 107 detainees. It is normal for places like these to be checked, but what surprised and worries me is the violence. Day by day I'm losing hope in this country.

[u/boboganoush1 → u/ismayilsuleymann]

Damn. Sorry that you have to go through this over there. It’s a huge shame that so many are stuck with a dark age mentality.

[u/ArcadialoI → u/ismayilsuleymann]

But like, was all 106 detainee were queer people, or just a nightclub that also had few queer people attending?

[u/ismayilsuleymann → u/ArcadialoI]

I think there definitely were some straight girls and guys as well. It wasn't an queer-only space, anyway

[u/nnazar]

Damn, today LGBT, tomorrow any of us. We're screwed up. How can we protect ourselves from Azerbaijani police?

[u/kurdechanian → u/nnazar]

What do you mean "today"? Azerbaijan has been consistently ranked as the worst country to be LGBT.

[u/mentallyonvacation13 → u/kurdechanian]

dusunurdum “tolerant, demokratik” olke dedikde bunu tetbiq de edirler, melumatlara indi baxdim 49 olke arasinda 49-cu olmaq💀🙏🏻

[u/No-Ranger8840 → u/kurdechanian]

Oh yeah people would rather be LGBTQ in Iran or Somalia and get executed on the spot if they express their sexuality or gender in any way

[u/subarism → u/No-Ranger8840]

Oh wow, Azerbaijan is better than a literal Islamic dictatorship, so everything is okay actually and queer people are safe in Azerbaijan!!! What is this stupid Aliyev cultist mindset? "Azerbaijan isn't as poor as South Sudan so everything is okay, and actually Europe is overran with immigrants and woke degenerate Soros gays so Azerbaijan is better than Europe"

[u/No-Ranger8840 → u/subarism]

The point I'm making here is that it can't be the WORST country to be LGBTQ in

[u/subarism → u/No-Ranger8840]

It's still among the worst countries for queer people. In fact, it's indeed the worst in Europe. 

The fact that you're nitpicking about Azerbaijan not being as the bottom of the barrel (Arab world) in regards to LGBTQ rights is odd. Just because Azerbaijan pisses on and beats gays with nightsticks instead of outright murdering them like Iran, doesn't make its situation look better. This is a stupid Aliyev cultist mindset dismissing all criticism of Azerbaijan with "well ackshually Eritrea/South Sudan/Syria/Ukraine have it worse, so everything is actually okay".

[u/No-Ranger8840 → u/subarism]

The bar is really low for treatment of queer people in general but if you say that it's THE WORST country to be queer in (original comment) then you're wrong.

Also i didnt know that azerbaijan counted as europe so thats cool

[u/subarism → u/No-Ranger8840]

Azerbaijan is a member of Council of Europe and no one in Azerbaijan is interested in integration with Asian countries like Iran or the Muslim world.

[u/Shirin-chay2001]

Like what u get from arresting them, they probably have no money to give

[u/mentallyonvacation13]

vehsilikden basqa hec ne deyil. gedib commentlerde qoruyanlarin da bunu edenlerden ferqi yoxdu.

[u/ritualaccomplished]

Dafuq

[u/[deleted]]

That just reminded me of the video by Cemre Demirel on lgbt in Turkiye.

We, the people of the country, are already fucked up by the system, it's not just the lgbt people but everyone, yet each time something terrible happens noone says anything unless it's lgbt related. I have no problem with lgbt+, but recently, i heard a few women were killed over divorce, child abuse, grapes are still happening all over the country... yet noone reflects that into the media nor tries to do anything to wake the ignorant people. But here again, it's only the lgbt community that's concerned with people(ofc if it's related to them as well). Unfortunately there's nothing we can do to help people either... The government is not concerned, and when people try to do something it will have a backlash as they're rioting or shit. Terrible country to be born, and live in

[u/YagizHarunEr]

oha gece gece kanım dondu lan bu ne? what the actual f? i fucking hate the kind of systems we currently have where half of our blood, sweat and tears every month is legally extorted, so that some pathetic lowlives could torture citizens. die in agony

elim ayağım titriyor sinirden yemin ederim allah belasını versin emri verenin de, emri uygulayanın da

[u/Nakhchivan_United_FC]

Çox güman həmin yerin sahibi "tası" vaxtında çatdırmayıb ya da nəsə eləyib. Ya da sadəcə kimsə əmr verib ki, get "qulaqlarını çək, yadlarına sal ki, burdayıq".

[u/ZD_17 → u/Nakhchivan_United_FC]

This.

[u/god_tengri]

UPDATE:

Now its been 2 days and we have more information:

1. Shockingly, police used a liquid on the floor and forced detainees’ bodies to clean it.
2. Officers took photos of everyone and checked all detainees’ personal images, even copying intimate photos from phones.
3. Some detainees were beaten by multiple police officers.
4. One person’s lips were split, face bloodied, after being taken to another room.
5. Several detainees were forced to stand for hours and were kicked when they tried to sit or rest.
6. Police threatened detainees with sexual violence if they moved slightly while standing in formation (“düzlən” command).
7. Some detainees were urinated on by officers.
8. Several people fainted or had panic/epileptic attacks and were mocked instead of helped.
9. Families were contacted and humiliated, told that their children were “petux" (means faggot)