LGBT rights in Azerbaijan

2000 saw the abolishment of the Azerbaijani law forbidding homosexual interactions (gay sex). A special edition of "Azerbaijan", the official newspaper of the Parliament, published on 28 May, reported that the Parliament had approved a new Criminal Code, and that the President had signed a decree bringing it into force in September. The text of the new Criminal Code was also published. From this it is clear that the old Article 113 (inherited from the Soviet era, and which punished anal sex between men with three years imprisonment) has been replaced with a new Article 150, which bans only forcible sexual acts.
Modern times.
When Azerbaijan became part of USSR, despite in Lenin-era of Soviet Russia homosexuality was not banned, it remained as crime in Azerbaijan. As the homosexuality was most widespread in Azerbaijan, Turkmenia, Uzbekistan and Georgia, the legislation on persecution of homosexuals remained in force in 1920's.
After the independence of Azerbaijan in 1991, homosexual acts were legalized in 2000. The official newspaper of the Parliament, published on 28 May 2000, reported that the Parliament had approved a new criminal code, and that the President had signed a decree bringing it into force in September. The old Article 113 (inherited from the Soviet era, and which punished anal sex between men with three years imprisonment) has been replaced with a new Article 150, which bans only forcible sexual acts.
Although homosexual acts between consenting male adults were officially decriminalized, reports about police abuses against gays, mainly male prostitutes, persisted during the last year. While complaining of the violence against them, the victims preferred to remain anonymous fearing retaliation on the part of police." (2001 Report of the International Helsinki Federation).
State-controlled media outlets use homosexuality as a tool to harass and discredit critics of the government and opposition journalist.