URGENT NEWS -  LGBTQI+ community in Azerbaijan targeted

The Azerbaijani police are using dating apps to target and blackmail queer individuals in Baku and Sumgayit. Members of the LGBTQI+ community have shared this information with Minority Azerbaijan.

Individuals who contacted our platform reported that police officers use various dating apps to connect with queer people and start conversations. After building initial trust, they request the individuals’ WhatsApp accounts to continue the chats. Once their identities are confirmed, these individuals receive calls from police stations, demanding their presence there.

Victims have revealed that, at the police station, they are shown the chats as evidence, followed by extortion for money. Victims stated that they were initially asked for some thousands AZN, which was later “negotiated.” 

Minority Azerbaijan has documented reports from at least 10 victims of such unlawful acts. We urge members of the LGBTQ+ community to exercise caution during this period and refrain from using dating apps temporarily. We also request that this information be shared widely within the community.

It is worth noting that Azerbaijan has ranked last for nine consecutive years in ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Index, which evaluates the protection of LGBTQI+ rights across 49 countries. Violence and murder against members of the LGBTQ+ community continue to occur regularly in the country. The Azerbaijani government has taken no action to prevent these crimes.

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