Azerbaijani authorities arrested 37 people in Baku over protests against new school uniform rules, Minval reported, citing Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry. According to Minval, protesters clashed with school staff and tried to disrupt school operations and traffic.
В Азербайджане начались протесты из-за запрета на ношение хиджаба
— Вот Так (@vottak_tv) October 12, 2026
Местные телерам-каналы публикуют видео с митингами возле школ.
В Азербайджане начала действовать единая школьная форма, а правительство запретило использовать элементы одежды, нарушающие ее единообразие или… pic.twitter.com/MuZ1AEE5YR
Protesters also tried to set fires, Minval reported. In Baku’s Garadagh district, they set fire to a school director’s car, and in the Yasamal district, they tried to set fire to a school. No one was injured in either incident.
A criminal case has been opened on charges of “organizing actions that disrupt public order, or actively participating in such actions.” The maximum penalty under that charge is up to three years in prison.
Azerbaijan’s government approved new rules on school uniforms on September 21, barring students from attending classes in clothing that contradicts the secular nature of education and undermines the uniformity of the school dress code. Starting October 6, similar requirements have extended to teachers’ clothing as well.
Schoolchildren protest outside a school in Azerbaijan, in a video that shows pupils boycotting classes.
— News18 (@CNNnews18) October 11, 2026
The protests follow reports that a new “secular” dress code recently introduced by the government has led to hijab-wearing pupils and teachers being barred from school… pic.twitter.com/tLQ7gzewQa
On October 12, schools began checking compliance with the new requirements, the APA news agency reported. Students who came to school improperly dressed were given talks involving school doctors and psychologists, and their parents were invited to the school for an explanation.
Azerbaijani authorities say the ban on religious clothing in schools is necessary to ensure equality among students. A uniform dress code is meant to smooth over social and religious differences among children, Azerbaijani lawmaker Sevinj Fataliyeva explained:
The requirements for school uniforms should not be seen as a fight against anyone’s religious faith, but as protection of a neutral educational space: a space where a child is not divided into “religious” and “non-religious,” rich and poor, or belonging to one group or another. Before the teacher sits a student.
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