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LEADING ARTICLE: POLITICAL LEGITIMACY IS ABOUT MORE THAN EUROVISION
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-political-legitimacy-is-about-more-than-eurovision-7778725.html?origin=internalSearch
Wednesday 23 May 2012
The Eurovision Song Contest is the most-watched non-sporting
competition in the world. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that
Azerbaijan's government sees Saturday's gala as a ticket of admission
to the community of nations. Nor that President Ilham Aliyev has
spent around $134m on a spanking new venue to host the event.
But behind the preposterous glitz stands an oppressive, oil-rich
regime where a corrupt ruling elite enjoys fabulous wealth and those
who dare to protest are routinely arrested and beaten.
The statistics are grim. Amnesty International records at least
12 prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijani jails and the country
comes near the bottom of the press-freedom index. And nothing has
changed in the run-up to Eurovision. Just this week, more people
were held during a pro-democracy protest. It will take more than a
song competition to distract attention from the manifest inhumanity
of the Azerbaijani regime.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-political-legitimacy-is-about-more-than-eurovision-7778725.html?origin=internalSearch
Wednesday 23 May 2012
The Eurovision Song Contest is the most-watched non-sporting
competition in the world. It is perhaps not surprising, then, that
Azerbaijan's government sees Saturday's gala as a ticket of admission
to the community of nations. Nor that President Ilham Aliyev has
spent around $134m on a spanking new venue to host the event.
But behind the preposterous glitz stands an oppressive, oil-rich
regime where a corrupt ruling elite enjoys fabulous wealth and those
who dare to protest are routinely arrested and beaten.
The statistics are grim. Amnesty International records at least
12 prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijani jails and the country
comes near the bottom of the press-freedom index. And nothing has
changed in the run-up to Eurovision. Just this week, more people
were held during a pro-democracy protest. It will take more than a
song competition to distract attention from the manifest inhumanity
of the Azerbaijani regime.