Azerbaijani theologian placed under 30-day administrative detention

Azerbaijani theologian Abgül Suleymanov has been placed in administrative detention for 30 days, after being taken to the Baku City Main Police Department and then to Binagadi, where his lawyer will now see him. He is formally charged with intentionally disobeying a police officer, though his wife Zahra Suleymanova says the family believes the detention is linked to his recent Facebook remarks about a potential ban on hijabs for schoolgirls.

Suleymanov posted that he would choose prison over a hijab ban, echoing broader protests against secular education reforms enacted in July. He has a history of arrests, including a 2011 conviction that led to an 11-year sentence, from which he was released in September 2022. Rights groups argue that drug-possession accusations are frequently used to imprison religious activists, citing similar cases from 2024. The government has not officially announced any new hijab prohibition, despite past attempts and public unrest.