Current Version
| Region | Azerbaijan |
| Issue | Censorship of LGBT issues |
| Status | State-enforced |
| Start Date | Feb 1, 2026 |
| End Date | (none) |
| Description | In Azerbaijan, there are several reports of state-enforced crackdowns on LGBTQ+ people every year. Police have conducted raids targeting LGBT individuals.. Police has also been reported to use dating apps to lure and entrap LGBT people, engaging in blackmail and extortion. LGBT issues are effectively censored, with no legal recognition or public representation permitted. Recently, new "morality" laws regulating social media use have been introduced, which was used to impose administrative fines and detention for LGBT expression and visibility online. |
| Sources | https://theworld.org/segments/2025/02/13/in-azerbaijan-police-use-lgbtq-dating-apps-to-extort-money https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/01/14/brutal-police-raid-on-lgbt-friendly-venue-in-azerbaijan https://oc-media.org/queer-azerbaijani-activist-detained-for-immoral-activity-on-social-media/ https://minorityaze.org/en/1859-21-year-old-man-sentenced-to-30-days-in-prison |
Revision History (1)
created by sruveyindex
Helpful?
0 | Original entry | |
|---|---|
| Status | State-enforced |
| Start Date | Feb 1, 2026 |
| End Date | (none) |
| Description | In Azerbaijan, there are several reports of state-enforced crackdowns on LGBTQ+ people every year. Police have conducted raids targeting LGBT individuals.. Police has also been reported to use dating apps to lure and entrap LGBT people, engaging in blackmail and extortion. LGBT issues are effectively censored, with no legal recognition or public representation permitted. Recently, new "morality" laws regulating social media use have been introduced, which was used to impose administrative fines and detention for LGBT expression and visibility online. |
| Sources | https://theworld.org/segments/2025/02/13/in-azerbaijan-police-use-lgbtq-dating-apps-to-extort-money https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/01/14/brutal-police-raid-on-lgbt-friendly-venue-in-azerbaijan https://oc-media.org/queer-azerbaijani-activist-detained-for-immoral-activity-on-social-media/ https://minorityaze.org/en/1859-21-year-old-man-sentenced-to-30-days-in-prison |