Azerbaijan is facing growing controversy over new school dress regulations after reports that students and teachers wearing hijabs have been denied access to classrooms, prompting protests and arrests across the country. Amnesty International has called on Azerbaijani authorities to reverse what it described as discriminatory restrictions and release people detained solely for peacefully protesting.
The controversy follows a September 21 decision by Azerbaijan’s Cabinet of Ministers amending school uniform regulations. The rules do not explicitly mention the hijab but prohibit clothing that alters the prescribed school uniform or conflicts with the secular principle of public education. A separate regulation covering teachers was approved on October 6. Reports from parents, students and activists say some schools have subsequently prevented girls wearing hijabs from attending classes.
Protests intensified on October 12 in Baku and other parts of Azerbaijan. The Interior Ministry said 37 people were detained in Baku in connection with incidents involving protesters who allegedly confronted school staff, damaged property and attempted to disrupt school operations and traffic. Activists and local media, however, reported that more than 200 people may have been detained, although that figure has not been independently confirmed.
Some demonstrations reportedly involved violence, including an alleged attempt to set fire to a school and the burning of a school principal’s vehicle. Authorities opened a criminal investigation under Article 233 of the Criminal Code concerning actions that disrupt public order. Six minors were also detained on October 13 on suspicion of attempting to set fire to a school, according to Amnesty International.
At the same time, rights groups have raised concerns about people detained for peaceful expression. Amnesty cited the cases of Gudrat Abdullayev, who received 25 days of administrative arrest over a TikTok post, and Rafael Huseynzade, who was reportedly sentenced to 30 days after writing “Freedom for the hijab!” on a school building.
The detention of Shahizyar Huseynova, a mother who protested after her daughter was reportedly refused entry to school, has also drawn attention. Her husband, Muslim activist Aga Huseynov, said she was detained after protesting outside a school in Baku. Amnesty said the reported detention raised concerns over the authorities’ response to peaceful protest.
Another case concerns activist and artist Ilkin Huseynov, who reportedly disappeared after launching a free online initiative connecting volunteer teachers with children affected by the school restrictions. Amnesty said he went missing on October 14 after leaving his home accompanied by unidentified people. Other reporting later indicated that he may have been placed under administrative detention, although details surrounding his whereabouts and legal status remained disputed.
Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Director Marie Struthers said excluding girls from classrooms because they wear hijabs violates their rights to education, religion and expression. The organization urged Azerbaijani authorities to ensure affected students and teachers can return to school and to release anyone detained solely for exercising their rights peacefully.
The Azerbaijani government has presented the regulations as part of its secular education system and standardized school uniform policy. The rules themselves do not explicitly use the word “hijab”, but their implementation has triggered an unusual wave of protests involving students, parents and activists. The dispute has also generated criticism and debate in neighboring Türkiye, adding a wider regional dimension to the controversy.
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The developments have put Azerbaijan’s policies on secular education, religious expression and access to schooling under increasing international scrutiny, with rights groups urging the government to ensure that dress regulations do not become a barrier preventing students from receiving an education.
