07:50, 15 October 2026

The creator of the educational platform for Azerbaijani girls wearing hijabs has stopped communicating.

In Baku, activist Ilkin Guseynov, who created an online platform for free education for children who are not allowed to attend classes due to wearing hijabs, has not been in contact since October 14. Guseynov left home with unknown individuals, after which his phone was turned off.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", a participant in the protests against the hijab restrictions in schools, Shahizyar Guseynova, was arrested for four months.

Since October 12, school leaders in Azerbaijan have not allowed teachers and schoolgirls who refused to remove their hijabs to attend classes. Written requests to explain the reasons for the suspensions went unanswered, they reported. On October 12, students and teachers held classes outside several schools in Baku in protest against the restrictions. On October 13, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan reported the detention of 37 protest participants, while activists claimed that more than 200 were detained.

Ilkin Guseynov stopped communicating on the afternoon of October 14, activist Javid Aga reported. "Around 4 PM (3 PM Moscow time) in Baku, unknown individuals came to the address on Izzet Nabiyev Street and told him to go with them. A friend who was with Guseynov said that Ilkin took the keys to his apartment and left home with these people. After that, Ilkin's phone was turned off. I wrote to him on Facebook Messenger and received a response: Huseynov Ilkin added a new device to this conversation. Probably, his account has been hacked," Aga told a correspondent of "Caucasian Knot."

He believes that Guseynov may have been detained for creating an online platform intended for the online education of children wearing hijabs.

On the platform "Let Leyla Go to School", volunteer teachers offer their services, and options are open for students to choose teachers for their desired subjects.

On October 13, Guseynov presented the platform on his Facebook page. "Free classes with volunteer teachers for girls who are not allowed to attend lessons due to wearing hijabs, as well as for all children who cannot attend school. No child should fall behind in their studies. This site helps children find teachers willing to support them. We are not against anyone. We just want children to have the opportunity to learn," Guseynov stated in a message.

Restrictions on wearing hijabs in schools in Azerbaijan may increase tensions between the state and the religious part of society. The actions of the authorities may be related to political concerns — in particular, the desire to prevent the use of religious discontent by external forces, analysts indicated in interviews with "Caucasian Knot".

Protests against the exclusion of children and female teachers from classes have become a continuation of a long-standing dispute over religious clothing in schools, according to a report by "Caucasian Knot" titled "Protests over School Dress Code in Azerbaijan".

Translated automatically via OpenAI from https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/427488