Full Breakdown
Azerbaijan’s School Uniform Rules Trigger Hijab-Related Protests
By Drooid · · How we work
New Uniform Rules Lead to School Exclusions
In late September the Ministry of Education approved Resolution No 309, tightening dress-code requirements for state schools. Although the hijab is not named, administrators in Baku and districts such as Masally, Jalilabad, Mashtaga and Balakhany have begun turning away female pupils and teachers who wear Islamic headscarves. Protests erupted outside schools in the capital and the mentioned districts.
Historical and Legal Context
Azerbaijan’s constitution enshrines secularism (Article 18) and guarantees freedom of conscience (Articles 42 and 48). The July 7 amendment to the general education law reinforced the secular character of public schooling, and the October 6 decision extended similar dress-code requirements to teachers. The government says the measures protect secular education; critics argue they effectively ban the hijab.
Detentions, Arrests and Legal Actions
The Interior Ministry’s October 12 statement said 37 people were detained for “grossly violating public order.” Amnesty International and other groups claim activists counted more than 200 detentions nationwide, though the higher figure has not been independently verified. Notable cases include Gudrat Abdullayev (25-day administrative arrest for a TikTok post) and Rafael Huseynzade (30-day detention for writing “Freedom for the hijab!” on a school wall).
Official Statements & Responses
- MP Nigar Arpadarai told a news portal that children do not choose the hijab themselves, describing it as a “conscious prerogative of adults.”
- The New Azerbaijan Party accused Turkish officials of an “openly defamatory” information campaign and warned external criticism could harm bilateral ties.
- The State Service for Special Communications linked the October 13 cyber-attack to a pro-Iranian group called the 313 Team, though no direct link to the protests was established.
Criticism & Opposition
- Turkish presidential adviser Oktay Saral called the restrictions “unacceptable” and urged Baku to reverse the measure, posting on X that “A headscarf is not an obstacle; it is a requirement of one’s faith!”
- Iranian MP Mohammad-Reza Mohseni Sani sent a letter to Azerbaijan’s parliamentary speaker citing international human-rights conventions and urging an end to the discrimination.
- Human-rights organisations, including Amnesty International, condemned the exclusion of hijab-wearing students and called for the release of all detainees arrested solely for peaceful protest.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Detention numbers: The Interior Ministry cites 37 detentions, while Amnesty International and activist networks report over 200 arrests. No independent audit has reconciled the discrepancy.
- Cause of cyber-attack: Officials attribute the October 13 attack to a “foreign hacker group,” but independent analysts have not verified the group’s identity.
- Legal status of the hijab ban: Regulations do not explicitly mention the hijab, leaving interpretation to individual schools. No court ruling has yet clarified whether the rule constitutes unlawful religious discrimination.
What’s Next
Legal proceedings under Article 233 of the Criminal Code continue for several detained activists, and the government has not announced any revision of the dress-code policy. International observers remain engaged, with diplomatic contacts such as the Turkish foreign-ministerial visit on October 15 indicating ongoing dialogue aimed at containing the dispute.