Azerbaijan to host the 2012 Eurovision song contest

Widespread human rights abuses on all fronts, say human rights groups

Azerbaijan won this year's Eurovision song contest, held in Germany on Saturday 14 May. This means it will host next year's event.

Commenting on the 2012 Eurovision contest being held in Azerbaijan, human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, said:

"Azerbaijan is not a welcoming or safe country for LGBT people. Although homosexuality was decriminalised in 2001, the LGBT community suffers police harassment and brutality, including bashings, blackmail, intimidation, bribery and invasions of privacy. LGBT people risk eviction from their homes and dismissal from their jobs. They have no legal protection against discrimination. Homophobic prejudice, threats and violence are systemic problems.

"The Eurovision organisers must seek guarantees from the Azerbaijani government that it will respect human rights, that visitors to next year's competition will not be victimised and that domestic and foreign media covering the event will be able to report freely, without harassment.

"Azerbaijan has a very poor human rights record on all fronts. It restricts religious and media freedom, suppresses peaceful protests, tortures political prisoners and jails opposition activists on trumped up charges. Earlier this month, Jabbar Savalanli, a member of the opposition Popular Front Party, was jailed for two and a half years on bogus drug charges. Nine journalists and bloggers are currently in prison for expressing dissenting opinions," said Mr Tatchell.

For background information about LGBT and other human rights violations in Azerbaijan, see these reports:

International Lesbian and Gay Association
http://tiny.cc/ro8r1

Human Rights Watch
http://tiny.cc/vvlpa
and:
http://www.hrw.org/en/node/87607

Amnesty International
http://tiny.cc/ua7nt