Azerbaijan police detain over 100 in queer nightclub raid

Patrons were subjected to humiliation, violence, and degrading treatment

Graphic from the Azerbaijan LGBTQ organization Qiy Vaar states, "Get Out of Our Lives" — **Graphic from the Azerbaijan LGBTQ organization Qiy Vaar states, “Get Out of Our Lives.”**

Azerbaijan police raided an LGBTQ-friendly nightclub on Dec 27, detaining more than 100 patrons who reported physical violence, humiliation, and demands for bribes. Detainees allege hair cutting, broken teeth, and sexual violence, with one stating that police “urinated on their head” during detention. ILGA-Europe called for an urgent investigation.

Attitude magazine reported:

Over 100 detained in Baku queer nightclub raid

Labyrinth nightclub, a queer-friendly venue in central Baku, Azerbaijan, was reportedly raided by police on December 27, with over 100 people detained in what is described as brutal conditions.

Detainees claim they were subjected to physical violence, harassment, humiliation and degrading treatment by police officers.

As per Qiy Vaar, a pro-queer rights Azerbaijani Instagram page, those arrested were kept outside in the cold for long periods, leading some people to lose consciousness.

Allegations include hair being cut, a broken tooth, verbal abuse, threats and at least one reported case of sexual violence.

Police are also accused by Qiy Vaar of demanding bribes ranging from 50 to 100 Manat (approximately $30-60 USD) in exchange for their release.

“State institutions carry out planned and mass raids by taking advantage of the queer community’s lack of legal and institutional protection,” Qiy Vaar wrote. “Community members state that similar police raids were carried out last year as well, and that such raids have a systematic nature.”

Despite same-sex sexual activity being made legal in Azerbaijan in 2000, discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is not banned, and same-sex marriage is not recognised.

ILGA-Europe expressed concern over the claims in a post on social media, writing: “We are deeply concerned.”

The LGBTQ+ organisation continued: “We stand in solidarity with the LGBTI community in Azerbaijan and support our member organisation in Azerbaijan, Qiy Vaar’s call for an urgent investigation and a public statement by the authorities.”

“Human rights and dignity must be upheld for everyone in Azerbaijan,” ILGA-Europe’s post concluded.

To support LGBT rights, include St. Paul’s Foundation in your year-end giving

Last week, Qiy Vaar published a video of an alleged detainee who claimed police used anti-LGBTQ+ insults, forced degradation and other acts intended to humiliate individuals based on their sexual orientation.

“We were given an empty bottle and ordered to fill it with water from the toilet and drink it – all 106 of us,” they said. “When another girl had an epileptic seizure, she was taken to the toilet, shouted at and told: ‘You have no right to lose consciousness here.’”

The anonymous person also recalled: “One of my friends was insulted because of their sexual orientation, and someone urinated on their head.”

Attitude has not been able to independently verify these allegations. Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs has been contacted multiple times for comment.

The online media outlet Caucasian Knot reported:

[T]his is not the first time the Azerbaijani authorities have engaged in targeted violence against members of sexual minorities. In October 2017, human rights activists reported that more than 50 homosexuals and transgender people were detained during police raids in Baku and subjected to violence – beatings, torture with electric shocks, and head shaving. In total, according to human rights activists, about 150 people were detained, 61 people were arrested for 10, 20, and 30 days, the rest were fined.