On November 4, 2025, our community member, 19 years old Rüzgar was stabbed to death by his uncle. This tragedy is yet another painful example of the hatred and violence faced by LGBTI+ people in our country.
Rüzgar had previously moved to Türkiye due to pressure from his family, but was recently forced to return to Azerbaijan after his residence permit expired. According to his friends, Rüzgar had shared that he had been receiving threats from his cousin even while living in Türkiye. Two days before the incident, he told his friends that his family members had found out about his return to the country and were looking for him with the intent to kill.
According to the Qiy Vaar platform, the murder took place on Bashir Safaroglu Street in Baku, near the venue now known as “Efkar Meyhane,” at around 10-11 p.m. It was reported that police arrived at the scene only after the perpetrator’s call, and that medical personnel failed to provide adequate attention to the victim’s condition.
Local media sources report that the perpetrator, Rüzgar’s uncle Babak Ibadov, has been detained, and the Nasimi District Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation. Born in 1987, Babak Ibadov was previously convicted and is believed to have planned the murder in advance.
This incident is not an isolated one. It tragically reflects the reality that LGBTI+ people in Azerbaijan remain unprotected from domestic violence, social stigma, and a culture of impunity.
The lack of legal recognition of hate crimes, the absence of protection mechanisms against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and the failure to address hate speech create and perpetuate an environment that enables such tragedies to occur.
We call on the Nasimi District Prosecutor’s Office to investigate this murder as a hate-motivated crime, and on the Ombudsman’s Office to closely monitor the case within its mandate and ensure that it is recognized and addressed as a hate crime.
We also call on the Parliament of Azerbaijan to act upon the recommendations of the Council of Europe’s Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) and the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR). During Azerbaijan’s 4th UPR cycle, Mexico, Spain, Chile, Argentina, France, Iceland, and Israel issued eight recommendations urging the adoption of legislative measures to effectively combat discrimination, hate speech, and hate crimes against LGBTI+ people in Azerbaijan.
Finally, we urge the media to report on this incident ethically and within the framework of human rights, avoiding sensationalist language and victim-blaming. We call on the public not to remain silent in the face of this hate crime and to stand in solidarity in defending the right of LGBTI+ people to live freely and safely.
