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Amnesty International Denied Entry into Azerbaijan Ahead of the European Games

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Amnesty International Denied Entry into Azerbaijan Ahead of the European Games

National-Stadium baku National Stadium for the Baku 2015 European Games.

Amnesty International has said that it was forced to cancel a planned visit to Baku at the last minute after Azerbaijan’s government said their visit should be postponed until after the European Games scheduled to begin on June 12.

Amnesty had planned on launching a briefing in Baku entitled, “Azerbaijan: The Repression Games. The Voices You Won’t Hear at the First European Games.” According to the organization, Azerbaijan’s Embassy in London sent them a message stating:  “Azerbaijan is not in a position to welcome the Amnesty mission to Baku at the present time” and suggesting that any visit should be postponed until after the Games.

“It is deeply ironic that the launch of a briefing outlining how critical voices in the country have been systematically silenced ahead of the European Games cannot be held. But rather than bury this message, the actions of the authorities have only highlighted their desperate attempts to create a criticism-free zone around the Games,” said Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia.

“Far from advancing the goals of press freedom and human dignity enshrined in the Olympic Charter, the legacy of these games will be to further encourage repressive authorities around the world to view major international sporting events as a ticket to international prestige and respectability,” added Krivosheev.

The past year has been particularly brutal for Azerbaijani journalists, human rights defenders, opposition politicians and other activists. According to Amnesty, there are at least 20 prisoners of conscience in the country, most on trumped up charges including drug possession, hooliganism and treason. Civil society for the most part has been silenced in an atmosphere of fear and reprisals. Ahead of the Baku games, pre-trial detention of those being held has been extended while others have been sentenced to lengthy jail terms.

Azerbaijan has been facing international criticism for continued human rights violations as it prepares to host the first ever European Olympics in Baku from June 12 to 28. The inaugural event, endorsed by the International Olympic Committee and organized by the European Olympic Committees, will feature 6,000 athletes from 50 countries competing in 20 sports.

On June 8, Emma Hughes of London-based Platform, a human rights organization was barred from entering the country. Platform, according the the Guardian, has been severely critical of the relationship between oil and gas giant BP and the Azerbaijani regime. The organization had produced a book called “All That Glitters,” which outlines the relationship between the oil company and the regime in Azerbaijan and is due to be released on June 12, the day the games will officially kick-off.

Upon her arrival at Baku airport via a flight from Rome, Hughes was detained, her passport confiscated and she was informed that she would be put on a plane back to Rome within 24 hours. Hughes told the Guardian that she was on a “red list” that barred her from entering the country. Hughes had obtained press accreditation to cover the 2015 Baku European Games.

According to Platform, Rebecca Vincent, of Sport for Rights said: “Emma’s detention at the Baku airport is outrageous. The Azerbaijani authorities have spent a fortune promoting the European Games, and have invited the world to take part in the spectacle. This shows once again that despite their attempts to promote a positive image abroad, there is a more sinister truth behind the glitz and glam. The ruling regime clearly has something to hide when it comes to human rights practices in the country." After being detained overnight, Emma Hughes was released from Azerbaijani custody and returned back to the UK.

Those protesting the games in Baku are sharing information about human rights violations and repressions in Azerbaijan with #RealBaku and #RealBaku2015 on Twitter.

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