{"id":65994,"date":"2015-04-29T09:25:10","date_gmt":"2015-04-29T08:25:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.indexoncensorship.org\/?p=65994"},"modified":"2017-03-23T15:31:38","modified_gmt":"2017-03-23T15:31:38","slug":"azerbaijan-seven-things-you-need-to-know-ahead-of-the-baku-european-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.indexoncensorship.org\/newsite02may\/?p=65994","title":{"rendered":"Azerbaijan: Seven things you need to know ahead of the Baku European Games"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Editorial<\/a>

Editorial cartoon on the Baku European Games From Meydan TV (Image: Meydan TV)<\/p><\/div>\n

In six weeks, the inaugural European Olympic Committee (EOC)-backed European Games will start in Azerbaijan’s capital Baku. Meanwhile, concerns about the human rights situation in the country are mounting. The latest chapter in the ongoing crackdown on government critics saw pro-democracy activist Rasul Jafarov<\/a> and human rights lawyer Intigam Aliyev<\/a> sentenced to 6.5 and 7.5 years in prison, respectively.<\/p>\n

Against this backdrop, Index on Censorship, Human Rights Watch and Article 19 on 28 April hosted Give Human Rights a Sporting Chance in Azerbaijan at the Frontline Club in London. The event addressed the question of how journalists can effectively cover the games given the full scope of social and political issues in Azerbaijan.<\/p>\n

\"From<\/a>

From left: Emin Milli, Rebecca Vincent and Giorgi Gogia speaking speaking on the crackdown on government critics in Azerbaijan ahead of this summer’s Baku European Games (Photo: Index on Censorship)<\/p><\/div>\n

On the panel were Emin Milli, a former political prisoner in Azerbaijan, now director of Meydan TV<\/a>; Rebecca Vincent, coordinator of the Sport for Rights campaign; and Giorgi Gogia, Human Rights Watch<\/a>\u2019s senior researcher on Azerbaijan who was recently denied entry into the country. These were some of their key points:<\/p>\n

1) Azerbaijan’s human rights community has been all but wiped out over the past year<\/h3>\n

In last year #Azerbaijan<\/a> gov has been systematically attacking civil society & they are getting away with it @Giorgi_Gogia<\/a> #RealBaku2015<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 IPGA (@AZfreeXpression) April 28, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There is no one left who can safely do human rights activism in Azerbaijan @SportForRights<\/a> .@article19<\/a> #RealBaku2015<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 David Diaz-Jogeix (@DiazJogeix) April 28, 2015<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n