Restrictions on the hijab in Azerbaijan are sparking growing protests, with reports that female students wearing headscarves have been barred from state schools and hijab-wearing teachers prevented from continuing their work.
Objections have spread across the capital, Baku, and other parts of the country, fueling debate over the impact of school dress codes on freedom of belief and the rights to education and employment.
Amid the developments, the Interior Ministry announced the detention of 37 people in connection with incidents linked to the enforcement of the new rules.
Students Protest in Solidarity with Hijab-Wearing Peers
Protests have spread to schools in Baku and other areas, where students have expressed solidarity with classmates wearing hijabs who were barred from entering classrooms. Others have boycotted lessons in protest against the new restrictions.
Azerbaijani media outlet Meydan TV documented a protest by students at Baku School No. 69, who called for their hijab-wearing classmates to be allowed to continue their education. The demonstrators held a banner reading, “The hijab is not an obstacle to education.”
Similar actions were also reported in the Masally district, where students skipped classes in solidarity with their classmates. Meanwhile, debate has intensified on social media over the implications of school dress codes for girls’ right to education.
Activists have circulated videos showing hijab-wearing students waiting outside their schools after being denied entry, alongside footage of teachers tearfully saying goodbye to their pupils after reporting that they had been told to remove their headscarves if they wanted to remain employed.
A girl from Azerbaijan who was banned from school for wearing Hijab tried to join in the lesson from outside. https://t.co/dLASSiHuIo
— ilmfeed (@IlmFeed) October 14, 2026
37 People Detained
As the protests continued, Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry announced that 37 people had been detained in connection with incidents related to the enforcement of school dress codes.
Authorities said some incidents involved altercations with school staff, damage to educational institutions, and attempts to disrupt school operations and traffic, according to their account.
Reports also indicated that a criminal case had been opened under Article 233 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code, which concerns organizing or actively participating in actions that could disrupt public order.
Users Report Difficulties Accessing Social Media
As protests escalated, reports emerged of difficulties accessing social media platforms, particularly Instagram and TikTok, at the same time that videos documenting the exclusion of hijab-wearing students and teachers from schools were circulating.
Media reports said some users could access the platforms only through virtual private networks (VPNs), amid complaints that the services were not functioning normally.
Government Decision
On September 21, the Cabinet of Ministers adopted Resolution No. 309, amending student dress code regulations. The measure prohibits clothing elements or accessories that conflict with the uniform school dress code or with what authorities describe as the principle of secular public education.
The new rules also set out dress requirements for teachers, including the wearing of formal suits, skirts or dresses reaching the knee or below.
The requirements have prompted complaints from teachers who say their school administrations have instructed them to remove their hijabs or warned that they may be unable to continue working if they fail to comply.
Jam News cited reports and testimonies indicating that hijab-wearing teachers in the city of Sumgait had been asked to remove their headscarves or submit their resignations. Similar cases have been reported at other schools, according to media accounts.
The simultaneous changes to student dress codes and the introduction of new clothing requirements for school staff have broadened the scope of the crisis. What began with female students being denied entry to classrooms has now extended to teachers’ working conditions and their ability to remain in their jobs.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar)