Murder of LGBTQ+ Individual in Baku

Yasin Ibadov (Ruzgar)

A 19-year-old LGBTQ+ person, reportedly named Yasin Ibadov (also known as Ruzgar), was murdered, allegedly by his uncle, in Baku on November 4 on Bashir Safaroglu Street.

Ibadov suffered many stab wounds and died at the scene. Witnesses reported that people nearby did not step in, and police only got there after the attacker called them. There are claims that doctors did not give Ibadov proper medical help right away.

Ibadov was from the Shamakhi area. He had been living in Turkey but came back to Azerbaijan when his residence permit expired. Supposedly, his cousin had been threatening him since he was in Turkey. The uncle who is accused of the murder had been in prison before.

So far, the Ministry of Internal Affairs hasn't made an official statement about what happened.

LGBTQI+ activist Ali Malikov stated that Ibadov was murdered by his uncle because of his sexual orientation.

Qafqazinfo reports that the suspect, Babek Ibadov (born in 1987), the deceased's uncle, is in custody. They add that he has a past conviction.

The Nasimi District Prosecutor’s Office is looking into the case.

Reports often place Azerbaijan low when it comes to LGBTQI+ rights, as these citizens face widespread discrimination.

The government says everyone is equal under the law and that people aren't persecuted for their beliefs or sexual orientation. They reject any criticism as biased.

Qafqazinfo says Ibadov was taken to the hospital with stab wounds, but he could not be saved.

They say that Babak Ibadov is suspected of planning the murder. The reason for the murder was not mentioned, but many people think it was because of Yasin Ibadov's sexual orientation.

Ibadov had returned from Turkey in the summer and had surgery in Baku.

After the news came out, activists used social media to complain about the authorities' lack of action.

Civil rights activist Aykhan Zayedzadeh wrote that people at the scene did not call the police, who arrived after the attacker called. By the time doctors arrived, Ibadov was already dead.

Qiy Vaar, a social media platform for the queer community in Azerbaijan, said that the doctors did not give enough attention to the victim.

"We ask government agencies to make a statement on this and ask for public support," Qiy Vaar said.

Qafqazinfo says that the Nasimi District Prosecutor's Office is doing the investigation, but they did not give any more details.

Authorities often stay silent when hate crimes happen to queer people in Azerbaijan.

In March 2024, when a trans woman was killed in Baku, the queer community shared the news, but government media didn't talk about it.

In 2022, queer journalist Avaz Hafizli was killed by his cousin in his home. The killer got nine years in prison in July of that year.

In late October, the Council of Europe mentioned that Azerbaijan has not taken any steps to create a system to collect data on racist and queerphobic hate speech and hate crime.

Azerbaijan is one of the worst countries in Europe for queer rights.

Note: This article has been updated with the correct photo of Yasin Ibadov.

Reports say discrimination and violence against LGBTQ+ people in Azerbaijan is increasing.