Azerbaijan school hijab ban sparks tension in Jalilabad

Tensions have escalated in Azerbaijan following the strict enforcement of hijab restrictions in state schools. In the Jalilabad region, specifically at School No. 9, female students wearing headscarves were reportedly identified and forcibly removed from the school premises by administration and security personnel.

Video footage circulating on social media shows students being turned away at the entrance, while school officials locked the gates to prevent parents from entering to protest the decision. As a result, the students were forced to return home.

These incidents follow recent comments from President Ilham Aliyev, who responded to international criticism regarding the country's dress code regulations by asserting that external entities should not interfere in Azerbaijan's internal affairs or its secular structure.