Opinion: 'Lawlessness and police violence during building demolitions in Baku'
Police forcibly evicting people in Baku
Demolition has begun in Baku of 161 unregistered homes on Mammad Arif Street, in the Montin area, within the Stone Quarry district. The process involves physical violence, police threats, and a lack of legal safeguards.
Local residents told JAMnews that the neighborhood is under blockade, people filming the events are being beaten and detained, and families are given only a few hours to two days to leave their homes.
A lawyer acknowledges that the demolition may be formally legal but emphasizes that the situation violates the right to housing.
“They came to our home and said: you have one hour, or your family will be arrested”
According to one local woman (name withheld for security reasons), police openly threatened her to force her out: “They said, ‘If you don’t leave, we’ll arrest your son, husband, and mother.’”
“They told me: ‘If you post a video, we’ll beat you.’ And they did. Those who posted were beaten. Some were taken to the 18th police station. At least one person from each house was detained. We’re living not just with the threat of losing our homes, but also in fear of being arrested.”
Most of the 161 homes in this area are not officially registered. Residents interviewed by JAMnews say they built their homes with their own money, and the authorities not only didn’t interfere but even assisted:
“Officials took bribes, gave us permission to build, installed utility meters — and now they’re saying: ‘You can’t live here anymore.’”
Many have lived here for decades. Residents claim the demolition is taking place without a court order and say they have not been offered any compensation, temporary housing, or rental support.
“He sent a letter to the Presidential Administration – they came to his home and arrested him”
One resident said his neighbor sent a telegram to the Presidential Administration to complain about the demolition of his house, and in response, police came to his home and detained him:
“The reason was that he complained to ‘higher authorities.’ Everyone who protests is either taken to the police station or has their phone confiscated so they can’t post videos. They’re also forced to delete their TikTok accounts.”
Who are these officials, and where is the court?
Residents say that at first, people claiming to be from the local executive authority came and promised compensation of 1,300–1,500 manats (about $800) per square meter.
But the offer was never made official.
Later, representatives of Azerbaijan Railways, the district executive authority, and police arrived – they attempted to carry out evictions without presenting a court order.
Police control, inspections, and a blockade continue in the area. Residents remain inside their homes while the buildings are being demolished above their heads.
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Lawyer: “The law has been violated in relation to these people”
Lawyer and founder of the “Third Republic Platform” Samad Rahimli told JAMnews that in such cases, citizens have the right to use the property, and court decisions can be appealed:
“If people have lived in an area for a long time and state bodies have acknowledged them by providing public services, then from a legal standpoint this establishes a right of use.”
He also noted:
- Although “Azerbaijan Railways” and other state bodies act as public legal entities, it is the executive authorities who are responsible for social welfare.
- Even if court rulings exist, legal tools such as appeals and suspension of execution are available.
- Orders like “vacate in an hour” or “by the end of the day” are unreasonable and violate human rights standards.
- The Constitution of Azerbaijan and the Housing Code recognize the right to housing as a guaranteed right. The state is obligated to provide these people with alternative housing. Until then, any court decision should be postponed.
Lawyer: “Legally the state may be right — but socially, it is not”
Rahimli explains that formally, the state can cite legal arguments such as illegal construction or land ownership. However:
“If the state has recognized these people for 30 years and created conditions for them to live there, then evicting them now without compensation, without a court order, and without alternatives is socially unacceptable.”
Legalized injustice
The residents of Montin have become victims of the gap between the proclaimed “social state” and the actual practices of local governance.
State agencies claim that the buildings were illegal and that the residents have no legal rights to the properties.
However, the state has acknowledged their presence: utility meters and paid services prove this recognition.
Nevertheless, no rent, land, or social housing is being offered. Instead — threats, violence, police patrols, and arrests.
Police are forcibly evicting people in Baku
News in Azerbaijan
