Deputies have introduced a bill in the State Duma banning the wearing of niqabs and any other clothing that covers the face. Examples cited include the ban on wearing such clothing in Central Asian countries.
The head of the Azerbaijani diaspora in the Ulyanovsk region, Islam Huseynov, has been stripped of his Russian citizenship and will be deported. According to Russian media, this decision was made jointly by the regional departments of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Federal Security Service (FSB). The reasons for the citizenship revocation and deportation have not been officially disclosed.
Huseynov led the diaspora since 2005 and headed the local branch of the Azerbaijani National Congress. He has been the victim of two assassination attempts in the past.
It is noteworthy that persecution of Azerbaijani diaspora leaders has increased in Russia. For example, Arshad Khankishiyev, the head of the Azerbaijani diaspora in the Chelyabinsk region, has been stripped of his Russian citizenship. Yusif Khalilov, the leader of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Voronezh, has also been arrested. Russian authorities have also stripped Bakhtiyar Hasanov, head of the Council of National and Cultural Autonomy of Azerbaijanis, of his citizenship.