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EUROVISION ORGANIZERS' DEAFNESS TO HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES GIVES AZERBAIJAN GOVERNMENT A BLANK CHECK
States News Service
May 22, 2012 Tuesday
Amnesty International issued the following news release:
The refusal of the organization behind Eurovision to condemn
human rights abuses in Azerbaijan provides a carte blanche to the
government's crackdown, Amnesty International said after another two
peaceful protests were violently dispersed.
Azerbaijan is hosting the song contest - the flagship event of the
European Broadcasting Union (EBU) - from 22-26 May.
"Despite publicly committing to support free expression in Azerbaijan,
the EBU has maintained a deathly silence on recent repeated violations
of that right," said Max Tucker, Amnesty International's Azerbaijan
campaigner, who is currently in the country's capital Baku.
"The lack of action by the EBU and the international community is
giving the authorities carte blanche to continue violently crushing
dissent without consequence."
On Monday, more than 200 demonstrators gathered in two locations in
central Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, calling for an end to corruption
and respect for human rights.
According to protest organizers, police forced participants onto
buses and drove them out of town, beating several and detaining 38.
One of the organizers, Abulfaz Gurbanly, told Amnesty International
that he was punched, kicked and hit with a truncheon while being held
at a police station. He said that several other protesters were also
beaten in custody.
The peaceful protests were dispersed in full view of a number of
international journalists, casting doubt on the EBU's assertions
that bringing international media attention to Baku would improve
the human rights situation.
"The increased media coverage will be meaningless if it does not
persuade Azerbaijan's diplomatic and business partners to act in
defence of freedom of expression," Tucker said.
"Azerbaijan's authorities seem to think they can ride out negative
coverage unscathed, leading to a renewed crackdown on dissent."
Amnesty International has noticed a fresh wave of human rights
violations in Azerbaijan. A recent briefing documented numerous cases
where journalists and human rights defenders have been attacked,
blackmailed and imprisoned. The EBU has not publicly commented on
any of these cases.
The organization is also concerned that local activists who have
sought to use Eurovision to highlight rights abuses will be targeted
after the event.
State-owned newspapers have already started a smear campaign against
leaders of the Sing for Democracy campaign, labelling them as agents
of neighbouring Armenia, with whom Azerbaijan has had a territorial
dispute for the last 20 years.
"We hope the international journalists we have spoken to in recent
weeks will not forget us after Eurovision," said Rasul Jafarov, one
of the Sing for Democracy campaign organizers. "That could be very
dangerous for us."
From: Baghdasarian
States News Service
May 22, 2012 Tuesday
Amnesty International issued the following news release:
The refusal of the organization behind Eurovision to condemn
human rights abuses in Azerbaijan provides a carte blanche to the
government's crackdown, Amnesty International said after another two
peaceful protests were violently dispersed.
Azerbaijan is hosting the song contest - the flagship event of the
European Broadcasting Union (EBU) - from 22-26 May.
"Despite publicly committing to support free expression in Azerbaijan,
the EBU has maintained a deathly silence on recent repeated violations
of that right," said Max Tucker, Amnesty International's Azerbaijan
campaigner, who is currently in the country's capital Baku.
"The lack of action by the EBU and the international community is
giving the authorities carte blanche to continue violently crushing
dissent without consequence."
On Monday, more than 200 demonstrators gathered in two locations in
central Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, calling for an end to corruption
and respect for human rights.
According to protest organizers, police forced participants onto
buses and drove them out of town, beating several and detaining 38.
One of the organizers, Abulfaz Gurbanly, told Amnesty International
that he was punched, kicked and hit with a truncheon while being held
at a police station. He said that several other protesters were also
beaten in custody.
The peaceful protests were dispersed in full view of a number of
international journalists, casting doubt on the EBU's assertions
that bringing international media attention to Baku would improve
the human rights situation.
"The increased media coverage will be meaningless if it does not
persuade Azerbaijan's diplomatic and business partners to act in
defence of freedom of expression," Tucker said.
"Azerbaijan's authorities seem to think they can ride out negative
coverage unscathed, leading to a renewed crackdown on dissent."
Amnesty International has noticed a fresh wave of human rights
violations in Azerbaijan. A recent briefing documented numerous cases
where journalists and human rights defenders have been attacked,
blackmailed and imprisoned. The EBU has not publicly commented on
any of these cases.
The organization is also concerned that local activists who have
sought to use Eurovision to highlight rights abuses will be targeted
after the event.
State-owned newspapers have already started a smear campaign against
leaders of the Sing for Democracy campaign, labelling them as agents
of neighbouring Armenia, with whom Azerbaijan has had a territorial
dispute for the last 20 years.
"We hope the international journalists we have spoken to in recent
weeks will not forget us after Eurovision," said Rasul Jafarov, one
of the Sing for Democracy campaign organizers. "That could be very
dangerous for us."
From: Baghdasarian