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Human rights abuses spark demands to boycott Eurovision in Azerbaijan
Activists ready to target contest after reports from Amnesty and Human
Rights Watch damn repressive regime of Ilham Aliyev
- Tracy McVeigh
- The Observer , Sunday 11 March 2012
[image: Azeri Eurovision song contest winners Eldr Gasimov and Nigar Jamal]
The victory of Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal in last year's Eurovision
means Azerbaijan plays host. Photograph: David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters
Calls are growing for an international boycott of this year's
Eurovisionsong
contest in
Azerbaijan over concerns about
the country's poor human rights
record and its clampdown
on dissidents.
Khadija Ismayil, one of the country's few remaining investigative
journalists, revealed last week that she had been the target of a blackmail
attempt. Ismayil, who has been working on stories exposing dubious business
deals in the oil-rich republic with connections to the ruling elite, has
been called an "enemy of the state" by Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev.
"On 7 March I received a letter to my home address with threats and
blackmail," she said.
"It includes some photos of an intimate nature and a threat. It says that
if I don't stop working I will be hugely embarrassed. This threat is not a
surprise; I've been doing investigative journalism for a long time.
"My investigation included the secret business of President Aliyev's family
and documented the facts of corruption on the highest level, disclosed the
offshore businesses of members of the ruling family."
Just days before, a peaceful demonstration in Baku, the capital, was broken
up by the police and 17 young protesters were beaten and thrown in jail.
The action led Amnesty
Internationalto
call for an immediate investigation by the Azerbaijan authorities.
Amnesty's latest report on the country reveals concerns about a ban on
opposition rallies and meetings, and the detention of journalists. Human
Rights Watch last month criticised forcible evictions of people from their
homes, sometimes without warning or in the middle of the night, to make way
for "city beautification" ahead of Eurovision, which will be staged late in
May.
There have been calls in the European parliament and from human rights
activists and Azerbaijani bloggers for a boycott of the contest.
Neighbouring Armenia has already withdrawn from Eurovision because of its
worsening relations with Baku, Iceland's broadcasters are considering
pulling out, and there have been boycott calls from campaigners in Holland,
France and Ireland.
"Azerbaijan is a society of fear and hatred," said activist and musician
Azer Mamedov, known as Cirttan, who said a Europe-wide boycott would hit
the Azerbaijani authorities hard.
"For sure Azerbaijan will be a very good host. It will want to show the
world all of its modernity and prosperity. What we won't get to see are the
poor conditions of the people. Corruption is a way of life and the people
are afraid to stand up for themselves."
But others are against a boycott. "That is the worst thing that could
happen," said Emin Milli, a blogger who in 2009 was beaten and jailed for
two years for "delinquency" after posting YouTube videos mocking the
regime. The family of his ex-wife were targeted for intimidation over his
opposition connections and his former father-in-law lost his job.
"There is no opposition in the parliament and it is weak elsewhere because
people are scared," he said. "This is a country where people are jailed
because of what they write on Facebook or post on YouTube. Discontent is
there and no one can predict what may happen next.
"We had a protest in one of the regions two weeks ago organised through
BlackBerry messenger; you never know when this great edifice that seems to
be so powerful and invincible will fall. There is a lot of inequality, but
those who have become very rich are squandering their money on prestige
projects.
"Eurovision is an opportunity for the international community to focus on
what is happening in Azerbaijan. The best way to understand is to come and
see it."
The Eurovision contest, seen by many in the UK as a triumph of musical
kitsch - Engelbert Humperdinck will represent Britain this year, while
Ireland has Jedward - is taken more seriously in eastern Europe.
Azerbaijan is making the occasion of hosting the contest a centrepiece of
its efforts to make Baku an international cultural capital. A TV audience
of about 125 million viewers from 42 countries is expected. Amid
controversy last year, scores of flats were demolished, their tenants paid
little or no compensation, to make way for the purpose-built Crystal Hall,
which will accommodate the Eurovision finalists at the end of May.
John Dalhuisen, deputy director of Amnesty International's Europe and
Central Asia programme, said: "Azerbaijan cannot credibly present itself as
a rights-respecting democracy so long as it continues to beat up and
imprison peaceful protesters.
"The regime must realise that hosting glitzy events such as Eurovision
won't mask the extent of the country's human rights violations. They need
drastically to change their attitude to peaceful protest."
Azerbaijan, which won the right to host Eurovision after winning the
contest in 2011, has given the organisers, the European Broadcasting Union,
a guarantee that foreign delegates will be secure and free from any
censorship during their stay.
"We would be very disappointed to have any boycotting," said an EBU
spokesmanon Saturday. "We believe strongly that Eurovision is not
political. In real life, politics do come up at Eurovision. There was some
talk of boycotting England in the 1970s over what was happening in Northern
Ireland. But Eurovision can act as an agent of change. It is an event to
unite countries and communities and bring understanding. It's important to
know that Azerbaijan's prime minister has given a guarantee of press
freedom during the contest, although we cannot ask for a guarantee for the
next 10 years also."
"It is an astonishing guarantee to have to give," said Milli. "What does it
say about Azerbaijan for the rest of the time?"
Activists ready to target contest after reports from Amnesty and Human
Rights Watch damn repressive regime of Ilham Aliyev
- Tracy McVeigh
- The Observer , Sunday 11 March 2012
[image: Azeri Eurovision song contest winners Eldr Gasimov and Nigar Jamal]
The victory of Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal in last year's Eurovision
means Azerbaijan plays host. Photograph: David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters
Calls are growing for an international boycott of this year's
Eurovisionsong
contest in
Azerbaijan over concerns about
the country's poor human rights
record and its clampdown
on dissidents.
Khadija Ismayil, one of the country's few remaining investigative
journalists, revealed last week that she had been the target of a blackmail
attempt. Ismayil, who has been working on stories exposing dubious business
deals in the oil-rich republic with connections to the ruling elite, has
been called an "enemy of the state" by Azerbaijan's president, Ilham Aliyev.
"On 7 March I received a letter to my home address with threats and
blackmail," she said.
"It includes some photos of an intimate nature and a threat. It says that
if I don't stop working I will be hugely embarrassed. This threat is not a
surprise; I've been doing investigative journalism for a long time.
"My investigation included the secret business of President Aliyev's family
and documented the facts of corruption on the highest level, disclosed the
offshore businesses of members of the ruling family."
Just days before, a peaceful demonstration in Baku, the capital, was broken
up by the police and 17 young protesters were beaten and thrown in jail.
The action led Amnesty
Internationalto
call for an immediate investigation by the Azerbaijan authorities.
Amnesty's latest report on the country reveals concerns about a ban on
opposition rallies and meetings, and the detention of journalists. Human
Rights Watch last month criticised forcible evictions of people from their
homes, sometimes without warning or in the middle of the night, to make way
for "city beautification" ahead of Eurovision, which will be staged late in
May.
There have been calls in the European parliament and from human rights
activists and Azerbaijani bloggers for a boycott of the contest.
Neighbouring Armenia has already withdrawn from Eurovision because of its
worsening relations with Baku, Iceland's broadcasters are considering
pulling out, and there have been boycott calls from campaigners in Holland,
France and Ireland.
"Azerbaijan is a society of fear and hatred," said activist and musician
Azer Mamedov, known as Cirttan, who said a Europe-wide boycott would hit
the Azerbaijani authorities hard.
"For sure Azerbaijan will be a very good host. It will want to show the
world all of its modernity and prosperity. What we won't get to see are the
poor conditions of the people. Corruption is a way of life and the people
are afraid to stand up for themselves."
But others are against a boycott. "That is the worst thing that could
happen," said Emin Milli, a blogger who in 2009 was beaten and jailed for
two years for "delinquency" after posting YouTube videos mocking the
regime. The family of his ex-wife were targeted for intimidation over his
opposition connections and his former father-in-law lost his job.
"There is no opposition in the parliament and it is weak elsewhere because
people are scared," he said. "This is a country where people are jailed
because of what they write on Facebook or post on YouTube. Discontent is
there and no one can predict what may happen next.
"We had a protest in one of the regions two weeks ago organised through
BlackBerry messenger; you never know when this great edifice that seems to
be so powerful and invincible will fall. There is a lot of inequality, but
those who have become very rich are squandering their money on prestige
projects.
"Eurovision is an opportunity for the international community to focus on
what is happening in Azerbaijan. The best way to understand is to come and
see it."
The Eurovision contest, seen by many in the UK as a triumph of musical
kitsch - Engelbert Humperdinck will represent Britain this year, while
Ireland has Jedward - is taken more seriously in eastern Europe.
Azerbaijan is making the occasion of hosting the contest a centrepiece of
its efforts to make Baku an international cultural capital. A TV audience
of about 125 million viewers from 42 countries is expected. Amid
controversy last year, scores of flats were demolished, their tenants paid
little or no compensation, to make way for the purpose-built Crystal Hall,
which will accommodate the Eurovision finalists at the end of May.
John Dalhuisen, deputy director of Amnesty International's Europe and
Central Asia programme, said: "Azerbaijan cannot credibly present itself as
a rights-respecting democracy so long as it continues to beat up and
imprison peaceful protesters.
"The regime must realise that hosting glitzy events such as Eurovision
won't mask the extent of the country's human rights violations. They need
drastically to change their attitude to peaceful protest."
Azerbaijan, which won the right to host Eurovision after winning the
contest in 2011, has given the organisers, the European Broadcasting Union,
a guarantee that foreign delegates will be secure and free from any
censorship during their stay.
"We would be very disappointed to have any boycotting," said an EBU
spokesmanon Saturday. "We believe strongly that Eurovision is not
political. In real life, politics do come up at Eurovision. There was some
talk of boycotting England in the 1970s over what was happening in Northern
Ireland. But Eurovision can act as an agent of change. It is an event to
unite countries and communities and bring understanding. It's important to
know that Azerbaijan's prime minister has given a guarantee of press
freedom during the contest, although we cannot ask for a guarantee for the
next 10 years also."
"It is an astonishing guarantee to have to give," said Milli. "What does it
say about Azerbaijan for the rest of the time?"