Azerbaijan issues arrest warrants for seven Turkey-based critics over headscarf ban protests

Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office said the Binagadi District Court issued arrest warrants for seven Turkey-based figures - Rıdvan Kaya, Zekeriya Ceran, Fatih Tezcan, Fahrettin Taşkaya Saral, Abdurrahman Tumer and Alparslan Tanrıkulu - and later placed journalist Celal Çiftçi on an international wanted list. Prosecutors allege that between Sep 25 and Oct 18 the suspects posted social-media content calling for the forcible seizure of power and inciting religious hatred, actions linked to protests outside Azerbaijan’s consulate in Istanbul on Oct 3 and embassy in Ankara on Oct 13 against a new school uniform rule that restricts headscarves.

The charges cite several articles of Azerbaijan’s Penal Code, including calls to alter the constitutional order and promote religious extremism. Azerbaijani officials announced ongoing judicial cooperation with Turkish authorities, but clarified that INTERPOL has not issued red notices. The case unfolds amid broader tensions over the headscarf ban, which has sparked demonstrations in both Azerbaijan and Turkey and drawn mixed reactions from Turkish political leaders.