HÜDA PAR Deputy Chairman and Head of Education Affairs Yahya Oğraş said the headscarf ban imposed on students in Azerbaijan has expanded beyond public schools, claiming that female students who were removed from state schools because of their hijab are now also being denied admission to private educational institutions.

In a written statement, Oğraş said the practice had created new obstacles for students seeking to continue their education after being excluded from public schools due to wearing the hijab.

According to Oğraş, students attempting to transfer to private schools have reported that their applications were rejected on the grounds that there were no available places or that the schools were awaiting instructions from the Ministry of Education.

He added that representatives of private educational institutions had informed families that private schools were also required to comply with regulations set by the state.

Oğraş criticizes restrictions on students wearing hijab

Condemning the reported practice, Oğraş said the restrictions reflected what he described as the continuation of the "hijab oppression" in Azerbaijan.

"The oppression against hijab in Azerbaijan continues. The ban imposed in state educational institutions has now spread to private schools as well. Students who were removed from public schools say their applications to transfer to private schools have been rejected, either because there are allegedly no available places or because the schools are waiting for instructions from the Ministry of Education," Oğraş said.

He concluded his statement by saying, "No society can prosper through oppression and injustice."

No official statement from the Azerbaijani authorities regarding Oğraş's allegations was included in the announcement.(ILKHA)