Keep Out of Our Spaces!
This statement was endorsed by IGLYO Members Minority Azerbaijan, Nafas LGBTI, Qıy Vaar!, and Onlar Eylenir.
We express our heartfelt solidarity with our IGLYO Members and the whole LGBTQI community in Azerbaijan following the violent raid carried out by the Azerbaijani police on the night of 26-27 December 2025 in a queer-friendly nightclub in Baku.
That night, over 100 of our siblings were detained in a police station for over 10 hours in degrading conditions. Testimonies consistently report having experienced verbal and physical abuse and humiliation, psychological intimidation, degrading questions, and insulting comments regarding their identities and sexual orientations.
Additionally, our siblings who were detained were notably charged with an administrative offence and fined, fingerprints were recorded, and police officers searched confiscated mobile phones, including personal photo and video galleries.
“The scale of this raid and the consistency of testimonies indicate potential violations of Azerbaijan’s obligations under international law, including the prohibition of torture and degrading treatment, the right to liberty and security, and the right to privacy”, said our IGLYO Member Nafas LGBTI, who incidentally collected valuable testimonies.
“Such raids may be aimed at intimidating the queer community and forcing them out of public spaces. The lack of mechanisms in Azerbaijani legislation that explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity increases the risk of impunity in such cases”, further commented our Member Minority Azerbaijan.
“The main offender is the system ignoring our rights, neglecting to pass anti-discrimination laws, forcing the LGBTQ+ community out of their spaces and pressuring them into being invisible”, also noted our Member Qıy Vaar!
When asked about the situation, our Member Onlar Eylenir also commented: “We underline that this raid has had a chilling effect far beyond those detained that night. In a country where queer people already survive through invisibility, such police violence deepens fear, self-censorship, and social isolation. For many, queer-friendly spaces are not entertainment venues but rare sites of safety, connection, and mental survival. Attacking these spaces is an attack on our collective right to exist. Queer people in Azerbaijan are not asking for special treatment — we are demanding the minimum: safety, dignity, and the right to gather without fear of state violence.”
We strongly condemn the raid and call for an investigation into what happened, as well as consequences for the authorities behind it, and compensations for our siblings who were abused and traumatised that night.
While such despicable incursions are aimed to sow fear amidst our communities, we need to send a strong message from the international community that we stand strongly behind our siblings in Azerbaijan and we will not back down, even in the face of violence.
What can you do?
- Share verified news about this event to ensure we send a strong message that the international community will not remain silent in the face of such terrorising acts
- Reach out directly to our Members Minority Azerbaijan, Nafas LGBTI, Qıy Vaar!, and Onlar Eylenir to know more about the situation and how you can support