On the morning of September 7, trans woman Emily Hajizade was attacked on the boulevard. LGBTI+ activist Ali Malikov told Nafas LGBTI Azerbaijan Alliance that the attackers were boulevard guards.
One of the security guards filmed without permission of Emily how she was taking off her shirt and sitting by the fountain. Emily asked him to delete the video and said she would call 102. The guard said, “I don’t give a fuck! Call whoever you want!”
“They were attacked before, and together with Emily, we filed a complaint at the 9th police station,” Malikov added. “This time Emily was called to the 39th police station because of the attack on the boulevard, I asked her to come home so she wouldn’t go alone.”
It should be noted that Emily Hajizade and LGBTI+ activist Ali Malikov were attacked together by unknown men on August 20.
Emily was also abused by her family. According to Ali Malikov, her family threatens her with death.
Fair, accurate and comprehensive coverage of hate crime news in the media plays an important role in expanding public awareness and understanding of LGBTI+s and the issues that affect our lives. While acceptance and visibility of LGBTI+s continues to grow, our community, especially trans folks, continues to face systemic discrimination and epidemic levels of negative policies and attacks.
According to the latest reports of ILGA-Europe, Azerbaijan is politically, socially and legally the worst country for LGBTI+s to live in amongst 49 countries.
Trans woman was beaten by her boyfriend in Sumgait.
She said that because she is trans, the police did not look into the case and ignored the violence. Another man who was previously imprisoned also assaulted her because she is a trans woman. However, the 4th police station of Sumgait city did not investigate the case.
The woman said in the police station: “I try to stay away from your employees, because they contact my landlords and they kick me out of the house. 3 days ago, on August 28, when my partner stuck a pair of scissors in my chest and said, ‘I will cut you in two,’ I was afraid to file a complaint with the police.”
LGBTI+ rights activist and the founder of “Qıy Vaar!” platform Ali Malikov told the Nafas LGBTI Azerbaijan Alliance that “It is important to publicise the incident. At the moment, the woman is in danger.” They also said that her boyfriend called the woman and asked her to withdraw the application, otherwise he threatened to commit suicide.
LGBTI+s are the most marginalised and discriminated community in Azerbaijan. There is epidemic level of discrimination against LGBTI+s in the country.
The lack of laws protecting LGBTI+s in Azerbaijan, the fact that the conservative society sees LGBTI+ people as legitimate targets of insults and violence leaves us – the queer community – in a precarious situation.
According to the latest reports of ILGA-Europe, an independent, international non-governmental organisation that unites more than 600 organizations from 54 countries of Europe and Central Asia, Azerbaijan is the worst country amongst 49 countries politically, socially and legally for LGBTI+s to live .
As Nafas LGBTI Azerbaijan Alliance, we demand that Azerbaijan to fulfill its obligations undertook to respect by ratifying the European Convention on Human Rights.
On August 20, Emily Hajizadeh and LGBTI+ activist Ali Malikov were attacked by two unknown men in Baku. According to the victims, the attackers stuck to their clothes and used phrases like “aren’y you ashamed, what are these you wearing” and started chasing them.
Emily said, “They followed us and continued to insult us despite the fact that we told them we wear what want.” The perpetrators then punched Emily twice and the victims raised their voices to get the police to approach them. The police registered their complaint and took them to the 9th police station to file an official complaint.
Describing the police station, Emily said: “When we walked in, it was like this – there was blood on the wall, there were punch marks. It was clear that people were beaten here. I wanted to sit because I was tired, the police shouted at me and said “DO NOT SIT”. They dragged us until the assistant of our lawyer arrived, we stayed in the unit for about 3 hours.”
After the arrival of the assistant lawyer, the complaint of the victims was registered. LGBTI+ activist Malikov added: “However, the person who punched Emily in front of the police managed to escape.” The police told the victims that they would fine the attackers 50 AZN and did not treat them well.
Emily told Nafas LGBTI Azerbaijan Alliance that the police did not want to look into the case and the investigators refused to fulfill their duties. The case was considered only after hearing the name of the lawyer. “There is absolutely no trust in law enforcement agencies,” she added.
Fair, accurate and comprehensive coverage of hate crime news in the media plays an important role in expanding public awareness and understanding of LGBTI+s and the issues that affect our lives. While acceptance and visibility of LGBTI+s continues to grow, our community, especially trans folks, continues to face systemic discrimination and epidemic levels of negative policies and attacks.
According to the latest reports of ILGA-Europe, an independent, international non-governmental organisation that unites more than 600 organizations from 54 countries of Europe and Central Asia, Azerbaijan is the worst country amongst 49 countries politically, socially and legally for LGBTI+s to live .
17-year-old Fateh Ismayilov, who lives on Khalil Rza Ulutürk Street in Salyan, was abused by his family because of his sexual orientation. According to him, he was expelled from school after the 8th grade and he was deprived from his right to education. In 2019, his family gave Yashar Karimov, the chief doctor of the Salyan District Psychiatry Hospital, about 7 thousand manats, and treated him for 7 months. Fateh said that he was sexually abused in that hospital and was sent back to his family.
His friend informed the Gender Resource Center about what happened to Fateh. Nafas LGBTI Azerbaijan Alliance was informed by the Centre that on July 25, they sent an anonymous complaint to the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs. According to the Centre, the Committee is a body that protects children’s rights, and when parents do not protect these rights, they should take this responsibility. Although the Center contacted the Committee again the next day, they faced serious indifference towards the issue.
Thus, the Committee forwarded the complaint to the Executive Power of Salyan District for consideration. However, according to Fateh, at the meeting, the executive power Ms. Sevinj did not fulfill the requirements of her job and told the teenager that he needs to be treated and that his family is dangerous people. Razgul, the deputy director, also attended the meeting, and instead of ensuring the child’s safety, she advised the child to file a complaint in the police.
On August 8, because his father pulled a knife on Fateh, he ran away from home and went to the Salyan district police station and wrote a complaint, telling about all the violence that happened to him. After accepting the child’s complaint, the head of the department, Mr. Rasul, called Fateh’s father, brother and two paramedics who sexually abused him to the department.
According to Fateh, his brother was reprimanded (he is a sergeant), and his father was instructed not to touch him again. Later, on August 9, Fateh was sent to the Psychiatric hospital in Mashtaga, where a meeting was held and the teenager’s complaints were listened to with the participation of 2 female and one male doctor. However, the decision of the meeting was not presented to Fateh, and he was sent back to Salyan, to his family. On August 13, Fateh went to the police station and tried to learn about the decision. He was told that a psychiatric evaluation was conducted to determine whether sexual violence had occurred, and a decision would be made in 10-15 days.
After Fatih returned from the unit, his family broke his phone and locked him in the house. One of the family members pushed him down from the 2nd floor and although Fateh’s arm was injured, a doctor was not called. Currently, Fateh is locked in the house and is regularly abused by his family. His friend who went to his house learned about this secretly and told the activists.
After that, the social worker contacted the 102 hotline service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and informed about Fateh’s condition. The social worker from the Ministry of Internal Affairs was told that the police were sent to that house and that the teenager feels good. However, Fateh contacted the activists through his friend and said that the police did not come to the house and that no one contacted him.
An activist of the Gender Resource Center told Nafas LGBTI Azerbaijan Alliance that so far Fateh has been against publicising the issue so as not to make the situation even more critical. But now he is asking for the issue to be made public. A complaint was also sent to the Ombudsman regarding the situation of Fateh Ismayilov.
Nafas LGBTI Azerbaijan Alliance introduces a new podcast. The topic of the podcast is “A and 24 others” film by Vusala Hajiyeva and her creative works. In this podcast, Nigar and the founder of “Transvisionary” and film director Vusala Hajiyeva who was invited as a guest, talked about the film, Vusala’s creative work.
19 yaşlı trans qadın Karmen 11 avqust Bakı metrosunda seksual qısnamaya məruz qalıb.
Zərərçəkmişin sözlərinə görə, metro basabas olduğundan bir neçə qatar buraxdıqdan sonra növbətisinə minmək qərarına gəlib. Qatara mindikdən sonra bir kişi onun qolundan tutaraq üzr istəyib, daha sonra cinsiyyət orqanını ona sürtməyə başlayıb. Müqavimət göstərən Karmeni həmin kişi bu dəfə belindən tutaraq özünə tərəf çəkib və penisini ona sürtməyə davam edib.
“Həmin anda psixoloji sarsıntı keçirdiyim üçün panikaya qapılmışdım, heç kimdən kömək istəyə bilmədim”, – deyə Karmen bildirib. “Növbəti dayanacaqda qapılar açılan kimi özümü platformaya atdım və kişinin üzünə baxmadan oradan uzaqlaşdım. İyrənc idi, ürəyim bulanırdı”, – deyə o, əlavə edib.
“Metrodan uzaqlaşdım, rəfiqələrimin yanına getdim. Baş verənləri onlara danışdım. Onlar mənə izah etdilər ki, bu, yanlış bir şeydir. Səsini çıxardıb kömək istəyərdin. Mən isə donub qaldığım üçün nə edəcəyimi düşünə bilməmişdim.”
Axşam saat 10 radələrində Karmen 20 Yanvar metro stansiyası yaxınlığında avtobus gözləyərkən yenidən başqa bir kişi tərəfindən zorakılıqla qarşılaşıb. Naməlum şəxs onu izləyərək seks təklif edib. “Avtobusun gəlmədiyini görüb, 92 nömrəli avtobusun buradan keçib-keçmədiyini soruşdum. Bir qədər dayancaqda gözlədim, avtobus gəlmədiyi üçün ayaqla getməyi qərarı aldım. Yolla gedərkən bir nəfərin məni izlədiyini hiss etdim”, – deyə Karmen bildirib.
Zərərçəkənin sözlərinə görə, onun arxasınca düşən şəxs qaçaraq ona yaxınlaşıb və Biləcəriyə necə gedəcəyini soruşub. Daha sonra isə “sizdə qız gözəlliyi var” deyərək, “cinsiyyət orqanını ağzında hiss etməyi” təklif edib və yol boyunca davamlı şəkildə bu fikirləri təkrar edib. Bir qədər getdikdən sonra, nəhayət, zərərçəkən həmin şəxsdən qurtularaq, izi itirməyə nail olub.
Azərbaycanda trans qadın olmaq, istənilən zaman və istənilən yerdə nifrət nitqi və ya nifrət cinayəti olmaq, zorakılıqla qarşılaşmaq deməkdir. Nəfəs LGBTİ Azərbaycan Alyansından Vahid Əliyevin sözlərinə görə, ölkədə LGBTİ+lər kütləvi şəkildə ayrı-seçkiliklə üzləşirlər. Onların hüquqlarını qoruyacaq qanunlar yoxdur, anti-diskriminasiya aktı qəbul olunmalıdır. Translar üçün bu, gündəlik həyatlarını davam etdirməyin təhlükəli olduğunu göstərir.
Qeyd etmək istərdik ki, İLGA-Avropa təşkilatının son Göy Qurşağı hesabatına əsasən, Azərbaycan LGBTİQ+ hüquqlarına və ölkədəki LGBTİQ+lərin vəziyyətinə görə, Avropanın ən pis ölkələri siyahısındadır.
