Azerbaijan’s Hijab Restrictions Spark School Protests and 37 Detentions

Azerbaijan has faced growing protests over restrictions on wearing the hijab in schools, with Muslim students and female teachers reportedly prevented from entering classrooms because of their headscarves. The controversy has sparked a wider debate over religious freedom, access to education and the role of secularism in the country’s public institutions.

According to an Instagram report by Islamify, a government decree introduced on September 21, 2026, prohibited clothing considered inconsistent with the principle of secularism. Although the decree did not explicitly mention the hijab, its implementation reportedly affected students and teachers who wore Muslim headscarves. On October 9, school inspections reportedly resulted in girls wearing hijabs being denied access to their classes.

The restrictions have had a visible emotional impact on students and their families. Images shared in the report show girls crying outside school buildings and students reaching through gates to comfort one another. Female teachers wearing hijabs were also reportedly prevented from teaching in their usual attire. In response, some teachers and students continued lessons outside school buildings, while others gathered to demand that students’ right to education be respected.

Protests subsequently spread to Baku and other cities, according to the post. Schoolgirls and their classmates called for equal access to education, while some boys reportedly refused to attend classes in solidarity with girls wearing hijabs. The demonstrations reflected growing frustration over a policy that critics argue places religious expression in conflict with students’ educational rights.

As the protests intensified, Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry reportedly announced the detention of 37 people. The reported detentions add another dimension to the controversy, raising questions about the authorities’ response to public demonstrations and the broader implications for freedom of religion and expression. Further independent verification is needed to establish the circumstances of the detentions and the full scope of the restrictions.