Index of Censorship urges to stop repression in Azerbaijan

• 22.05.2012, 11:45

The human rights organization Index of Censorship asked the President of Azerbaijan to stop the repression in the state.

The Azerbaijani government hopes that the glitz of Eurovision will blind the international community to its shocking human rights record. We can’t let this happen. Sign our petition now.

The Eurovision Song Contest is a guilty pleasure for millions across Europe. But this year the competition has a dark side – it’s being hosted by Azerbaijan, a country whose people face violence, prison and persecution for exercising their right to free speech. On 18 April, Idrak Abbasov, an investigative reporter who won the Guardian/Index Award, was beaten unconscious by private security guards while the police looked on.

Other journalists have been attacked, abducted and tortured. In November 2011, writer Rafiq Tagi was attacked outside his home and later died. No one has been brought to justice for his murder. In fact, in the last seven years, there have been no arrests or prosecutions related to violence against journalists.

But it’s not just journalists – musicians, gay rights campaigners and political activists are also under attack.