"They treated us like criminals" - witnesses on the raid

Witness testimonies raise serious concerns over conduct during police raid on queer-friendly venue in Baku.

Several people who were present during a police raid on a nightclub known as a safe space for the queer community in Baku have spoken to Minority Azerbaijan, alleging hours-long detention, humiliating treatment, and serious misconduct by police officers. These accounts, provided independently of one another, describe incidents that point to similar patterns and practices.

According to the independent media outlet Meydan TV, citing community members, at least 106 people were detained during the raid. The outlet reports that some detainees were subjected to degrading treatment, and that one individual’s head was allegedly shaved.

Sudden intervention and unexplained detention

One witness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the raid began completely unexpectedly. According to the witness, police officers entered the venue while people were simply dancing and, without providing any explanation, began confiscating attendees’ mobile phones.

The witness said the phones were collected into large bags, each marked with a sticker, and attendees were required to write down their passcodes. The detainees were then placed into police vehicles and transported to a police station.

“We were given no information about why we were being detained or how long we would be held,” the witness said. According to the account, detainees were kept for hours in cold conditions, without warm clothing, and were not provided with water or other basic necessities.

Allegations of degrading questioning and denial of rights

The same witness said the treatment at the police station was overtly degrading. Detainees were reportedly asked insulting questions about their identities and sexual orientation. According to the witness, no information was provided regarding access to a lawyer, the right to contact family members, or the right to make a phone call, and such requests were met with mockery.

The witness further alleged that detainees were informally asked to pay between 30 and 50 manats, with the warning that failure to do so would result in overnight detention. Most detainees, the witness said, felt compelled to comply under fear and pressure.

Other witnesses describe a similar pattern

Another individual who contacted Minority Azerbaijan said they believed the operation had been carried out in a planned manner. According to this account, police arrived with buses and multiple vehicles and escorted everyone away as if they were criminals.

The witness said many detainees were unable to retrieve warm clothing and were forced to stand outdoors in cold weather for hours. They were later held for extended periods in police station corridors, with some denied permission to sit and subjected to insulting language.

According to witnesses, personal belongings, including mobile phones were confiscated and later returned in garbage bags.

Meydan TV reported that most detainees were taken to Nasimi district’s 22nd police station, where they were allegedly held outdoors for hours. Victims told the outlet that police officers demanded money from them.

Allegations involving a young detainee

Several witnesses also alleged that an 18-year-old detainee was subjected to particularly degrading and violent treatment, including physical abuse and public humiliation. These claims could not be independently verified. For legal and ethical reasons, Minority Azerbaijan is withholding further details.

Alleged searches of phones and intrusion into private life

Several witnesses alleged that police officers searched detainees’ mobile phones, including personal photo and video galleries. According to these accounts, the searches were conducted without a court order or clear consent and were aimed at finding narcotics or what officers deemed “inappropriate” content.

Club’s position

Following the incident, Labyrinth nightclub published a brief statement on its official Instagram account, describing the events as a “police check” and apologising for the distress caused to guests. The statement did not address allegations of detention, abuse, or demands for money.

Parallels with past events

Recent developments have been compared by a number of human rights defenders and activists to the mass detentions of LGBTQI+s in Baku in 2017. At that time, local and international rights organisations documented the detention of dozens of gay and trans people during police raids, many of whom were subjected to administrative detention and fines.

Rights advocates say that the climate of fear, arbitrary detention, and degrading treatment described in current witness accounts recalls practices reported during that period, and warn that failure to properly document and investigate such incidents increases the risk of recurrence.

International legal context and concerns over impunity

Following the 2017 mass detentions, several victims filed applications against Azerbaijan before the European Court of Human Rights. In those cases, applicants raised allegations of ill-treatment, unlawful detention, degrading conditions of confinement, forced medical examinations, violations of fair-trial guarantees, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

In 2024, the Court decided to strike the cases out of its list on the basis of a unilateral declaration submitted by the Azerbaijani government. While the government acknowledged Convention violations and offered compensation, it did not provide detailed clarification regarding the nature or scope of the violations.

The decision was criticised by local and international LGBTQI+ rights advocates, who argued that the compensation offered was inadequate in light of the alleged abuses and that the decision did not include commitments to structural reforms, guarantees of non-repetition, or accountability for those responsible.

According to rights defenders, decisions taken without effective accountability mechanisms do little to prevent similar conduct by law-enforcement authorities in the future.

In this context, witness testimonies relating to the reported 2025 raid have, in the view of some activists, reinforced concerns that the climate of impunity that emerged after 2017 has not been adequately addressed.

Unverified claims

Minority Azerbaijan is aware of certain claims circulating on social media regarding possible events preceding the raid. However, as these claims have not been verified and could pose additional risks, they are not included in this report.

The allegations contained in this article are based on witness testimonies and publicly available sources. Minority Azerbaijan has withheld certain details in order to protect the safety of those who came forward.

To date, no official statement has been issued by law-enforcement authorities regarding the incident.

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