"In the beginning it was just sex workers who got arrested, and then day by day the arrests growed (sic) and others got arrested," said Javid Nabiyev, president of the Nefes LGBT Azerbaijan Alliance. Nabiyev now lives in Dusseldorf, Germany, where he says he was granted asylum after his work as an activist made it impossible for him to stay in Azerbaijan. (Francisco Seco/Associated Press)The detentions in Azerbaijan have prompted comparisons to the situation in nearby Chechnya earlier this year. The international organization Human Rights Watch said men were outted to their families, and relatives were encouraged to carry out "honour killings." Nothing of that severity has been reported in Azerbaijan, but Nabiyev says people there are clearly concerned it could happen.

Source: CBC News September 28, 2017 22:18 UTC