A surge of revealing and body-focused videos on TikTok and other social platforms has sparked widespread debate in Azerbaijan, raising questions about whether such content should face legal consequences.
For now, the law is clear: there are no direct fines or criminal penalties for posting sexually suggestive videos online, lawyer Babek Umudov told Patrul.az.
“Azerbaijani legislation does not impose administrative or criminal liability for individuals who share videos of themselves in revealing clothing,” Umudov explained.
While the Administrative Offenses Code includes penalties for media outlets that promote harmful behavior or environmental risks, personal videos of this nature do not fall under those provisions, he said. The only exceptions relate to professional ethics – for teachers, civil servants or other regulated professions, whose online behavior may trigger disciplinary action.
In practice, authorities intervene only when such videos violate the rights of others or pose a serious threat to public order.
What may change
According to Umudov, proposed amendments could significantly alter the legal landscape. A draft bill—currently under review by the parliamentary committees on Legal Policy, State Building and Human Rights—introduces penalties under the “minor hooliganism” article for behavior deemed to publicly insult moral norms.
The bill would impose fines of 500 to 1,000 manats, or in some cases up to 30 days of administrative detention, for:
using obscene expressions in online videos;
gestures perceived as offensive to public morals;
displaying parts of the human body “in a manner contrary to ethical norms and national moral values.”
Repeat violations within a year could increase fines to 1,000-2,000 manats, with possible detention of one to two months in severe cases.
Lawmakers say the goal is to curb content that “openly disrespects public morality” at a time when TikTok usage continues to grow, especially among young audiences.
