Thirty individuals apprehended following accusations of group sexual assault against a 13-year-old girl in Azerbaijan.

In the village of Gakh, northwest Azerbaijan, a 13-year-old girl was reportedly raped approximately one month ago. The incident has sparked concern and calls for action from independent journalists, feminist activists, and children's rights organizations.

Feminist activist Vafa Naghi discussed the case, stating that five people, including a police officer, are said to have committed the crime as a group. Another police officer reportedly fled the country after the incident. Naghi also mentioned another rape case in the Yardimli district in southern Azerbaijan, where an underage girl was allegedly raped by 17 men.

Gulnara Mehdiyeva, an Azerbaijani feminist activist in exile, reported this incident. The person who allegedly passed the news about the rape case in the village of Gakh to Mehdiyeva is not publicly named.

Kamala Aghazada, the head of an Azerbaijani children's rights organization, has confirmed the rape incident. She has also asked the Interior Ministry about the possibility of police involvement, but was told that police were not implicated. Aghazada argues that a National Action Programme should be developed to prevent such cases and that ethical standards for police should be increased.

In the case of the girl from Gakh, Naghi mentioned that the first person who raped her was the husband of her aunt, and now the girl lives with her aunt, who allegedly blamed the girl for the rape. The executive authority of the Gakh region conducted an inspection of the family where the minor lives and assessed her condition to be satisfactory, with no need for emergency intervention.

Approximately 30 people, including a police officer, have been detained in relation to the rape incident. The pro-government media outlet Qafqazinfo reported that the State Committee for Family, Women, and Children has sent an official appeal to the relevant state bodies regarding the rape incident in Gakh.

Independent journalism in the region is under threat, leading to the creation of a newsroom by a community of readers to respond to this threat. Aghazada stated that the girl lives with her mother and emphasized the responsibility of both parents in such cases, suggesting that the father should also be obligated to economically support the mother.

Naghi stated that the girl, who was initially taken to a shelter in Baku, returned to her family after spending one year there. The Caucasus region is experiencing a change, and it remains to be seen how these incidents will be addressed and prevented in the future.

Thirty individuals apprehended following accusations of group sexual assault against a 13-year-old girl in Azerbaijan.