Hijab restrictions under Azerbaijan’s school dress rules spark protests, with 37 detained and access to social media platforms reportedly limited

Protests against restrictions on hijab-wearing students spread to schools in Baku and other parts of Azerbaijan on Monday, and 37 people were detained in the capital, according to the country’s Interior Ministry, as reports also emerged of limits on social media access.

The ministry said some protesters clashed with education staff, damaged schools and tried to obstruct traffic. Users reported trouble accessing Instagram, TikTok and Facebook; Al Jazeera said monitoring groups had not confirmed reports of broader internet blackouts.

Al Jazeera reported that students and teachers joined demonstrations after some schools turned away girls wearing hijabs. Students at several schools also reportedly boycotted classes in solidarity.

A regulation adopted in September bars school clothing that authorities consider inconsistent with a unified uniform or the secular principle of education, but it does not explicitly mention the hijab. A separate set of rules for teachers was adopted on October 6.