LGBT* representatives reported beatings and humiliation following a security forces raid in Baku.

In Baku, 106 people were detained during a police raid on the Labyrinth club, a gathering place for LGBT* people. According to eyewitnesses and those detained, police used violence, humiliated them, and threatened them.

As reported by Kavkazsky Knot, in 2024, the European Court of Human Rights ruled to exclude from its list of cases filed by LGBT* members of Azerbaijan who were detained and arrested in September 2017 in Baku, as the country's government acknowledged violations of their rights and promised to pay compensation. The plaintiffs insisted on a trial on the merits and expected a verdict requiring the authorities to investigate the actions of security forces.

Detainees reported beatings at the police station

According to eyewitnesses, the raid began suddenly around 1 a.m. on December 27. Police officers burst into the Labyrinth club and forcibly removed the people inside, after which they were placed in police cars. According to the detainees, they were taken to the Nasimi District Police Department of Baku, JAMnews reported today.

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The publication's article notes that the detainees were kept outside in the cold for about two hours, in light clothing, without being allowed to sit down. Then each was taken separately to offices and asked questions about their personal lives and sexual orientation. Several detainees stated that they were "subjected to brutal violence by the police."

According to them, one of the detainees, who attempted to object to such questions, was taken to a separate room and returned with a bloody face and a split lip. He said that the police beat him, the publication's report states.

The police insulted, swore, and mocked us.

According to another detainee, quoted by the publication, the police lined everyone up and ordered them to stand with their knees straight, saying that anyone who moved would be raped. The people were held in this position for about two hours. During this time, police officers approached and photographed the detainees with their phones, confiscated their mobile phones, looked through messages and photos, and copied personal intimate photos from some.

"To torture us at the police station, they forced us to stand, didn't allow us to squat or lean against the wall. When we sat down, they kicked us to get us to stand up again. They didn't allow us to go to the toilet, several people wet their pants because they couldn't take it. The police insulted, cursed, and mocked us," Meydan TV quotes another detainee today.

The club called the raid a "police inspection"

Activist Ali Malikov told Meydan TV that the main reason for what was happening was "the desire to establish total control over all independent groups in Azerbaijan."

"We do not meet the "normative and "obedient" model. Although the authorities do not openly support transphobia in society, they use it as a tool and regularly conduct raids against our community. What is happening is not new to us. Earlier this year, police infiltrated gay dating sites, collected information on people, and blackmailed them."

Threats against sexual minorities alarmed Baku residents

Ali Malikov explains another The incident was attributed to the lack of legislation prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. "Social and economic problems, as well as political pressure, have increased to the point that there are no independent institutions left in Azerbaijan capable of protecting us. The police are using this as a tool to oppress the weak and defenseless and extract additional money from them," he stated.

Following the incident, the Labyrinth nightclub issued a brief statement, calling it a "police inspection" and apologizing for the inconvenience caused to guests. The statement, posted on the club's Instagram page**, did not address the allegations of detention, abuse, or extortion.

Following the detention at the club, members of the LGBT community* in Baku stated that "similar police raids were carried out last year and that such raids are systematic." Community representatives called on the Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General's Office to "investigate this case and issue a statement." 1 .

* The organization is listed as extremist.

**The activities of Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) are banned in Russia.