Azerbaijani authorities have detained two TikTokers — Sardar Majnunov (Serdar Inanki) and Rena Jafarova (Renka) — for allegedly publishing content with ‘obscene expressions or gestures’.
According to pro-government media outlet Oku.az, the two were detained on Tuesday.
Majnunov was charged with posting obscene expressions or gestures on social media and sentenced to 20 days in jail by order of the Garadagh District Court.
Another TikToker Jafarova, who goes by Renka online, was charged with the same offences and fined ₼750 ($440) by the Narimanov District Court. The court granted her leniency because she has an underage child.
The arrests came shortly after the adoption of the new amendments to the administrative law, which was signed by President Ilham Aliyev in December. The new amendments were officially adopted on 26 January.
According to the law, a person who openly shows disrespect for society, insults public morality and national values, or uses unethical language is subject to legal liability. The legislation that conceives of ‘immoral’ posts as falling under the category of petty hooliganism.
In early February, queer TikToker Salman Mammadov, who runs the social media page Velizarofficial, was charged for ‘promoting immorality’ and was sentenced to 30 days of imprisonment.
An increase in arrests for social media posts
By order of the Narimanov District Court, 24-year-old Instagram user F. Huseynli, was arrested on 10 February on charges of filming and posting obscene videos on social media at a Baku pub, and was sentenced to one month of administrative detention.
According to the new legislation, the public display of body parts in a manner perceived to be contrary to moral norms and national values, can be also considered petty hooliganism.
Three others, whose full names were not made public by the pro-government media outlet Telegraf.az, were also reportedly arrested over the same incident.
According to the publication, the police have filed a report against Ch. S., R. Kh., and E.A., who allegedly appeared in the video. A woman and two men were charged for ‘filming an obscene video in a pub and distributing it on social media, thereby openly demonstrating disrespect for society’.
The Narimanov District Court remanded the woman in the video in detention for 25 days, while the other two men were jailed for 25 days, according to Telegraf.az.
The new legislation has also been used against government critics and activists, leading to further concern from independent experts in Azerbaijan.
On 5 February, activist Movsum Mammadov from the Kurdakhani district, known for his harsh criticism of the government on social media, was sentenced to 30 days in prison by the Kurdamir District Court. Mammadov was also found guilty based on the same legislation that criminalises ‘immorality’.
Human rights lawyer Yalchin Imanov told OC Media that these new regulations, which do not clearly define what constitutes ‘immoral activity’ contradicting values, will contribute to the strengthening of the government’s control over society and self-censorship on social media.
Aytan Farhadova
