Tweet
AZERBAIJAN WELCOMES EUROVISION AMID CLAIMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE
Scotsman
http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/azerbaijan-welcomes-eurovision-amid-claims-of-human-rights-abuse-1-2316405
May 25 2012
Tens of millions of television viewers will tune into the Eurovision
Song Contest in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan this weekend,
but a war of words over human rights may drown out the singing,.
Hundreds of fans have already arrived in the oil-rich Azeri capital of
Baku, which has undergone a multi-million pound facelift in preparation
for the event with a shiny new 23,000-seat rectangular Crystal Hall
on the shores of the Caspian Sea at the centre of the celebrations.
"People are very friendly in Azerbaijan and food is fantastic. We
enjoy being here and we love Eurovision," said Dmitry, a 19-year-old
flag-draped fan from Moldova.
The multi-purpose Crystal Hall arena was built by a German firm in
eight months for an undisclosed sum. But human rights groups say some
buildings in Baku were torn down with the song contest in mind and
that the forced eviction of residents, especially in areas around
the Crystal Hall, casts a shadow over the event.
Azerbaijan is the fifth former Soviet republic after Estonia, Latvia,
Ukraine and Russia and the second Muslim country after Turkey to host
the event.
In preparation, it has trained thousands of police, temporary staff
and volunteers in basic foreign language skills to welcome contest
participants and cope with the thousands of fans arriving from
around Europe.
"I think that many more people will learn about our beautiful country
after Eurovision and many more will come to see it," student Sabina
Mehdiyeva, 19, said, adding her voice to many Baku residents who
welcomed the event.
But, in spite of the effort to highlight progress that the nation
of nine million people has made since independence in 1991, critics
of president Ilham Aliyev's government have taken the opportunity to
air allegations of human rights abuses.
They accuse Mr Aliyev, who succeeded his father to the presidency
of the Caspian Sea nation north of Iran in 2003, of clamping down
on dissent.
Dozens of peaceful protesters were arrested this month in Baku during
rallies and marches demanding democracy and the resignation of Mr
Aliyev's government.
"A stern crackdown of freedom of expression, dissent, NGOs, critical
journalists, in fact anyone who criticises the Aliyev regime too
strongly, and we've seen this continue right up until the Eurovision
Song Contest," Amnesty International Europe and Central Asia director
John Dalhuisen said.
But senior Azeri officials responded to allegations by calling them
"anti-Azeri propaganda".
"Their conclusions do not correspond with reality", said Ali Hasanov,
head of the public and political issues department at the presidential
administration.
The government is also under fire from Islamic figures who object to
the Eurovision jamboree. Senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Sobhani has
issued a statement urging Muslims in the region to protest against
what he described as "anti-Islamic behaviour".
The song contest has also been marred by the decision of Armenia
to pull out earlier this month. The move underscored tensions over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mainly Armenian-populated enclave inside Azerbaijan
which Armenian forces seized control of after the collapse of the
Soviet Union.
Scotsman
http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/azerbaijan-welcomes-eurovision-amid-claims-of-human-rights-abuse-1-2316405
May 25 2012
Tens of millions of television viewers will tune into the Eurovision
Song Contest in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan this weekend,
but a war of words over human rights may drown out the singing,.
Hundreds of fans have already arrived in the oil-rich Azeri capital of
Baku, which has undergone a multi-million pound facelift in preparation
for the event with a shiny new 23,000-seat rectangular Crystal Hall
on the shores of the Caspian Sea at the centre of the celebrations.
"People are very friendly in Azerbaijan and food is fantastic. We
enjoy being here and we love Eurovision," said Dmitry, a 19-year-old
flag-draped fan from Moldova.
The multi-purpose Crystal Hall arena was built by a German firm in
eight months for an undisclosed sum. But human rights groups say some
buildings in Baku were torn down with the song contest in mind and
that the forced eviction of residents, especially in areas around
the Crystal Hall, casts a shadow over the event.
Azerbaijan is the fifth former Soviet republic after Estonia, Latvia,
Ukraine and Russia and the second Muslim country after Turkey to host
the event.
In preparation, it has trained thousands of police, temporary staff
and volunteers in basic foreign language skills to welcome contest
participants and cope with the thousands of fans arriving from
around Europe.
"I think that many more people will learn about our beautiful country
after Eurovision and many more will come to see it," student Sabina
Mehdiyeva, 19, said, adding her voice to many Baku residents who
welcomed the event.
But, in spite of the effort to highlight progress that the nation
of nine million people has made since independence in 1991, critics
of president Ilham Aliyev's government have taken the opportunity to
air allegations of human rights abuses.
They accuse Mr Aliyev, who succeeded his father to the presidency
of the Caspian Sea nation north of Iran in 2003, of clamping down
on dissent.
Dozens of peaceful protesters were arrested this month in Baku during
rallies and marches demanding democracy and the resignation of Mr
Aliyev's government.
"A stern crackdown of freedom of expression, dissent, NGOs, critical
journalists, in fact anyone who criticises the Aliyev regime too
strongly, and we've seen this continue right up until the Eurovision
Song Contest," Amnesty International Europe and Central Asia director
John Dalhuisen said.
But senior Azeri officials responded to allegations by calling them
"anti-Azeri propaganda".
"Their conclusions do not correspond with reality", said Ali Hasanov,
head of the public and political issues department at the presidential
administration.
The government is also under fire from Islamic figures who object to
the Eurovision jamboree. Senior Iranian cleric Ayatollah Sobhani has
issued a statement urging Muslims in the region to protest against
what he described as "anti-Islamic behaviour".
The song contest has also been marred by the decision of Armenia
to pull out earlier this month. The move underscored tensions over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a mainly Armenian-populated enclave inside Azerbaijan
which Armenian forces seized control of after the collapse of the
Soviet Union.