Society 17:26 17/02/2015

NGO coalition warned EOC president about crackdowns in Azerbaijan prior to European Games

The Sport for Rights NGO coalition sent a letter to the president of the European Olympic Committee Patrick Hickey asking him to call on the government of Azerbaijan to release all of the political prisoners in advance of the opening ceremony of the European Games and to cease the further prosecution of independent journalists and human rights defenders. The authors of the letter encourage national Olympic committees, athletes, the press and the public to speak up for the political prisoners in Azerbaijan and for all Azerbaijanis facing violations of their basic rights and freedoms. The letter is posted on “International Partnership for Human Rights” website.

“The principles of fair Olympic competition — those of placing sport ‘at the service of the harmonious development of humankind’ and ‘promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity’— are enshrined in the Olympic Charter. These principles must be upheld in both the athletic competition and the entire organisational process and infrastructure of any multi-sport event. The experience of previous international public events organised by Azerbaijan, such as the Eurovision Song Contest in 2012, strongly indicates that President Aliyev’s regime will seek to use the Olympic event to whitewash or hide its deteriorating human rights record,” the letter reads.

Unlawful evictions have taken place across Baku to make way for luxurious infrastructure, thus concealing the country’s true poverty level, reports the letter. The Coalition highlights that given the rampant corruption throughout the regime and the fraudulent business activities of President Aliyev’s clan, there is little doubt that hosting the European Games in Baku will have a seriously negative impact on local communities by depriving them of much needed support for real, sustainable development.

“The severe and unprecedented crackdown on civil society activists and journalists in recent months raises suspicions that anyone who attempts to expose human rights violations will share the fate of imprisoned government critics,” the article proceeds. It notes that over the course of 2014, the Azerbaijani authorities have convicted or imprisoned at least 34 journalists, bloggers, human rights defenders and civil society activists to long-term prison sentences under sham charges such as ‘tax evasion’, ‘high treason’, ‘illegal entrepreneurship’ and ‘abuse of power’.

Since the summer of 2014, many human rights groups and NGOs have ceased their activities, while dozens of activists have either fled the country or gone into hiding. The Coalition also adds that these arrests and scare tactics are politically motivated. International bodies including the European Court of Human Rights, Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights also acknowledge the need of public and private international actors to place pressure on the Azerbaijani authorities regarding the violations of the human rights.

The Azerbaijani government must end its persecution of critics and journalists, as well as its unlawful financial and environmental practices. As a highly prestigious international event, the European Games will receive a high degree of media coverage. It would be a shameful legacy if the first ever event of this kind is overshadowed by grim news of political imprisonments and official corruption, the letter reads. The authors of the letter also demand guarantees for a free and objective media in Azerbaijan.

The letter is signed by 17 members of the Sport for Rights NGO coalition: Article 19 (United Kingdom), Center for Civil Liberties (Ukraine), Education for Democracy (Poland), European Stability Initiative (Germany), Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (Poland), Human Rights House Foundation (Norway), Index on Censorship (United Kingdom), International Partnership for Human Rights (Belgium), Netherlands Helsinki Committee (Netherlands), Norwegian Helsinki Committee (Norway), People in Need (Czech Republic), Platform London (United Kingdom), YouAid Foundation (Poland).



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

17:12
She said yes: Marriage proposal at Hayat Project concert in Gyumri
A young man proposed to his beloved at a Hayat Project concert in Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city. In a video posted online, the...
16:45
Opposition MP slams Pashinyan's Artsakh statements
Opposition Hayastan faction MP Ishkhan Saghatelyan has expressed support to the Artsakh government in exile following Armenian Prime Minister...
16:04
MP Aghvan Vardanyan visits arrested activists
MP Aghvan Vardanyan, who represents the opposition Hayastan faction, on Thursday visited the Armavir Penitentiary where activists Vazgen...
15:36
Armenian opposition MP visits border villages
Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan has visited the villages of Voskepar and Baghanis in Tavush Province adjacent to the border areas demanded by...
15:04
Ex-Yerevan mayor setting up new party
Former Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan is setting up a new party in the near future, his team has confirmed to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service....
14:36
Armenia to send 29.94 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza
Armenia will deliver 29.94 tons of humanitarian aid to Gaza ravaged by the conflict with Israel. The decision was approved at a cabinet...
14:07
Expert: Pashinyan decided to terrorize Artsakh leaders
Political analyst Suren Surenyants has criticized Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s statements on Artsakh leaders at a cabinet meeting on...
13:35
Analyst: The West doesn't care about Armenia
The West wants Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign a peace treaty as soon as possible and Armenia's territorial losses do not matter to it,...
13:06
Moscow concerned over anti-Russian bias of Armenia-EU-US meeting
The Armenia-EU-US meeting scheduled for April 5 is causing Moscow’s concern as Washington and Brussels are openly discussing its...
12:37
Pashinyan: Some circles displaced from Karabakh take actions threatening Armenia's security
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan warns that the actions taken by “some circles” forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh)...
12:04
Artsakh dissolution decree was 'the only way' to save people, president says
President Samvel Shahramanyan claims his decree ordering the dissolution of the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) Republic was the “only...
11:30
Japanese supplement products recalled after two deaths and over 100 people hospitalized
Health supplement products believed to have caused two deaths and sickened more than 100 people have been ordered to be taken off store shelves...
11:15
Today is Holy Thursday
The week leading up to Easter or Holy Resurrection is called Holy Week (in Armenian Avak Shabat). During this period, the Armenian Apostolic...
11:00
Upcoming Armenia-US-EU meeting not directed against any third party – Foreign Ministry
The high-level meeting scheduled for April 5 in Brussels is aimed at strengthening Armenia-EU-US cooperation and is not directed against...
17:00
Azerbaijan's team opts out of Sambo World Cup in Yerevan
Azerbaijan's national team will not participate in the Sambo World Cup to be held in Yerevan, Armenia, Azerbaijani Sambo Federation official...
16:45
Biden calls Putin 'butcher'
US President Joe Biden has disparaged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin for the second time in two months, publicly calling him a...
16:30
Armenian parliament speaker defends land handover to Azerbaijan
Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan has defended the plans to hand over border villages in Tavush Province to Azerbaijan. He...
16:04
Azerbaijan must create conditions for safe return of Armenians to Nagorno-Karabakh, UK says
The UK government is clear that Azerbaijan must create the conditions for a safe and secure return of ethnic Armenians who were displaced from...
15:35
Photo campaign calls for release of political prisoners in Armenia
A photo campaign for the release of Armenian opposition activists has been launched in Yerevan. Photos of political prisoners Narek...
15:15
Arthur Abraham's father dies at 68
German-Armenian boxing star Arthur Abraham’s father, Grigor Abrahamyan, has died in Berlin at the age of 68. “We’re deeply...
15:00
Armenian MP warns of threats after possible land handover to Azerbaijan
Opposition MP Tigran Abrahamyan has warned of threats to a number of settlements in Armenia amid Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s signaled...
14:31
EU mission hosts French ambassador to Armenia
The EU Mission in Armenia (EUMA) on Wednesday hosted French Ambassador to Armenia Olivier Decottignies and members of the French...
14:06
Azerbaijan opposes Armenia-EU-US conference
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has deplored the EU-Armenia-US joint conference scheduled for 5 April, warning that it will create...
13:36
Political prisoner Vazgen Saghatelyan slams Pashinyan in letter from prison
Political prisoner Vazgen Saghatelyan has blasted Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his regime for efforts to silence their critics in...
12:34
U.S. aims to encourage Armenia and Azerbaijan to bridge differences – State Dept.
The objective of the United States is to encourage Armenia and Azerbaijan to bridge their differences, U.S. State Department...
12:15
Ukraine tells EU to hand over 'missing' €5B in Russian asset profits
Ukraine is pushing for another €5 billion from the proceeds generated by frozen Russian assets that the EU has decided to withhold from the...
12:00
Eurovision 2024: Semi-final running orders revealed
The running orders of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 semi-finals have been revealed. Armenia’s Ladaniva will perform 8th in the...
11:45
Today marks Holy Wednesday
The week leading up to Easter or Holy Resurrection is called Holy Week (in Armenian Avak Shabat). During this period, the Armenian Apostolic...
11:30
Denialists Erdogan and Netanyahu shamefully exploit the term genocide to bash each other
By Harut Sassounian www.thecaliforniacourier.com For several decades, Israel and Turkey were in a honeymoon, supporting each other...
11:10
SME loan portfolio of Ameriabank reported more than 30% growth in 2023
The small and medium enterprise (SME) loan portfolio of Ameriabank increased by more than 30% in 2023 to reach to AMD 222.6 billion as of...

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}