More than 100 people detained after police raid on queer nightclub: ‘Like a nightmare’
The raid saw more than 100 people detained (Canva)
The raid saw more than 100 people detained (Canva)
More than 100 clubgoers were detained for hours by the authorities in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku after a raid on a queer venue.
As first reported by Azerbaijani LGBTQ+ outlet Qıy Vaar!, 106 revellers at Labyrinth nightclub were detained by police on 27 December for more than 12 hours outside in the cold weather without adequate clothing, water, toilet breaks, or the ability to make phone calls to loved ones.
Despite homosexuality being legal in Azerbaijan since 2000, the LGBTQ+ community in the country continues to face significant abuse, with little legal protection from discrimination. As per ILGA-Europe’s 2025 map, the country ranks second to last in Europe in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, with the only worse country being Russia.
The outlet also reported when parents and family members arrived at the Nasimi District Police Department, officers told them the detained individuals were “cowards”.
The police were also alleged to have tried to force those who were detained to to testify against each other and demanded bribes from those in custody to secure their release.
“I was there too, there were 106 of us,” community member Kiy Vaara said of the experience. “What I saw was traumatic for me, I can’t get it out of my mind.
“When I close my eyes, I remember the faces of the police like a nightmare.
“Even though I begged to go to the toilet several times, they wouldn’t let me in. In that cold, without a jacket, I peed on my pants, and the urine froze on me.”
In a statement, Qıy Vaar! said it stands in solidarity with victims of the raid.
“We know the perpetrators. The system that has ignored our rights for years, that does not prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the legislation, that has ousted the LGBTQ+ community from their places and forced them into invisibility, is the main culprit of this violence,” the statement, written in Azerbaijani and translated to English, reads.
“We call on state institutions and the public to respond immediately and adequately to the ongoing violations of rights.
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs must conduct an urgent, independent and transparent investigation into the allegations of violence, degrading treatment, arbitrary detention, bribery, sexual violence and torture against 106 people detained at the Nasimi District Police Department.”
It added: “The years of systematic violence and impunity against the queer community must end, and public guarantees must be given that such police hunts will not be repeated.”
In response to news of the raid, ILGA-Europe – the European branch of ILGA World which tackles and advocates for LGBTQ+ rights across the world – condemned the action of the police and the treatment of the queer community in Baku.
“We are deeply concerned by reports of a police raid on a queer-friendly space in central Baku, where around 100 people were reportedly detained,” the organisation wrote in a statement shared to social media.
“According to our member organisation @qiyvaar and community members, people were held for hours outside in cold weather, taken to a police station, and subjected to intimidation and violence, including physical abuse, degrading treatment, extortion, and a reported case of sexual violence.
“We stand in solidarity with the LGBTI community in Azerbaijan and support our member organisation in Azerbaijan, Qiy Vaar’s call for an urgent investigation and a public statement by the authorities.
“Human rights and dignity must be upheld for everyone in Azerbaijan.”
