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FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: ALIYEV'S AUTHORITARIAN REGIME USES EUROPEAN GAMES TO SATISFY ITS AMBITIONS
12:47 01/04/2015 >> Region
10 weeks remain until the opening of the European Games, the
prestigious project of the ruling regime in Azerbaijan which violates
the human rights. In this regard, the criticism of the European
Olympic Committee increases, well-known German newspaper Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung writes.
It is noted in the article that 10 weeks before the opening of
the European Games in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on 12 June, the
international organization Human Rights Watch highlighted the serious
human rights violations by the President Ilham Aliyev's regime during
a meeting with the representatives of the German Olympic Sports
Confederation (DOSB).
"The Games did not bring about changes in the policy in Azerbaijan. On
the contrary, the situation in Azerbaijan is much worse than it used
to be a year ago," Director of the Human Rights Watch at Europe and
Central Asia, Hugh Williamson, told the newspaper. He also criticized
the attitude of the Games' organizers - the European Olympic Committee
(EOC). The Europeans set an ill example for Baku and undermine the
reform movement of the International Olympic Committee.
Moreover, as the article has it, it is very frustrating that other
National Olympic Committees (NOC) still do not respond to the
human rights violations in Azerbaijan. According to the article,
the spokesperson for the Netherlands Olympic Committee said that
the Olympic values are the 'inseparable part' of the European Games,
and the hosting country carries the responsibility to observe those
values. The representative of the Olympic Committee of Norway explained
that the sportsmen's participation in the Games "highlights the human
rights violations in Baku."
According to the article, Christian Klaue, the DOSB representative,
was the only one to express concern regarding the events in Azerbaijan
and promised to raise the issue in Baku.
The newspaper writes that the former Soviet Republic is ruled by the
Aliyev clan since the late 60s. Famous journalists and human rights
defenders, including Leyla and Arif Yunuses, Khadija Ismayilova,
were arrested in Azerbaijan in 2014. Amnesty International recently
published a video where the arrested human rights defenders' daughter,
Dinara Yunus, asks the President Aliyev, "Mr President, can you explain
me why my mother was arrested after she criticized the European Games?"
It is highlighted in the article that Azerbaijan was ranked 162nd
(among 180 states) in the Press Freedom Index of the organization
Reporters Without Borders, and CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists)
said on Friday that Azerbaijan is ranked 9th in the list of the
countries having most arrested journalists.
Aliyev, also being the President of the National Olympic Committee,
uses the Games to promote the sport policy ambitions of his country.
Last week Aliyev said that "a campaign against his country has been
on for many years," and the criticism of the NGOs is its part, the
article reads.
Aliyev "is guided by hypocrisy, double standards, discrimination,
racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia, rather than by the international
law," the newspaper cites Die Weltpolitik.
http://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2015/04/01/frankfurter/
From: Baghdasarian
12:47 01/04/2015 >> Region
10 weeks remain until the opening of the European Games, the
prestigious project of the ruling regime in Azerbaijan which violates
the human rights. In this regard, the criticism of the European
Olympic Committee increases, well-known German newspaper Frankfurter
Allgemeine Zeitung writes.
It is noted in the article that 10 weeks before the opening of
the European Games in Azerbaijan's capital Baku on 12 June, the
international organization Human Rights Watch highlighted the serious
human rights violations by the President Ilham Aliyev's regime during
a meeting with the representatives of the German Olympic Sports
Confederation (DOSB).
"The Games did not bring about changes in the policy in Azerbaijan. On
the contrary, the situation in Azerbaijan is much worse than it used
to be a year ago," Director of the Human Rights Watch at Europe and
Central Asia, Hugh Williamson, told the newspaper. He also criticized
the attitude of the Games' organizers - the European Olympic Committee
(EOC). The Europeans set an ill example for Baku and undermine the
reform movement of the International Olympic Committee.
Moreover, as the article has it, it is very frustrating that other
National Olympic Committees (NOC) still do not respond to the
human rights violations in Azerbaijan. According to the article,
the spokesperson for the Netherlands Olympic Committee said that
the Olympic values are the 'inseparable part' of the European Games,
and the hosting country carries the responsibility to observe those
values. The representative of the Olympic Committee of Norway explained
that the sportsmen's participation in the Games "highlights the human
rights violations in Baku."
According to the article, Christian Klaue, the DOSB representative,
was the only one to express concern regarding the events in Azerbaijan
and promised to raise the issue in Baku.
The newspaper writes that the former Soviet Republic is ruled by the
Aliyev clan since the late 60s. Famous journalists and human rights
defenders, including Leyla and Arif Yunuses, Khadija Ismayilova,
were arrested in Azerbaijan in 2014. Amnesty International recently
published a video where the arrested human rights defenders' daughter,
Dinara Yunus, asks the President Aliyev, "Mr President, can you explain
me why my mother was arrested after she criticized the European Games?"
It is highlighted in the article that Azerbaijan was ranked 162nd
(among 180 states) in the Press Freedom Index of the organization
Reporters Without Borders, and CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists)
said on Friday that Azerbaijan is ranked 9th in the list of the
countries having most arrested journalists.
Aliyev, also being the President of the National Olympic Committee,
uses the Games to promote the sport policy ambitions of his country.
Last week Aliyev said that "a campaign against his country has been
on for many years," and the criticism of the NGOs is its part, the
article reads.
Aliyev "is guided by hypocrisy, double standards, discrimination,
racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia, rather than by the international
law," the newspaper cites Die Weltpolitik.
http://www.panorama.am/en/politics/2015/04/01/frankfurter/
From: Baghdasarian