Sport For Rights: Joint Letter to Lady Gaga regarding the opening Ceremony of the Baku Games
18 June 2015
Dear Lady Gaga,
We are writing to you as members of the Sportfor Rights campaign, which has been working to raise human rights violations inAzerbaijan in the context of the European Games. We are deeply disappointed byyour decision to perform at the opening ceremony of the games amidst the worsthuman rights crackdown to date in Azerbaijan, and ask you to consider ourappeal to help right this very public wrong.
Given your history of speaking out strongly forhuman rights and equality, we can only assume that you are not aware of thereal situation in Azerbaijan. In the run-up to the games, the Azerbaijaniauthorities worked aggressively to silence all forms of criticism and dissent, resultingin the arrests of dozens of political prisoners. As written by jailedAzerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova in a letter smuggled out of prisonjust last week, “Azerbaijan is in the midst of a human rights crisis. Thingshave never been worse”.
The Azerbaijani regime has been using the EuropeanGames in an attempt to whitewash its image, to distract international attentionfrom the human rights abuses taking place in the country. Sadly, yourperformance has become part of that cover-up, a spectacular piece of propagandafor an authoritarian regime that is increasingly hostile towards its ownpeople.
But we believe that you still have the chance tomake this right. We urge you to follow the lead of U2 frontman Bono, who madean impassioned appeal on behalf of our jailed Azerbaijani colleagues on 12 and13 June on stage during his concerts in Montreal. We ask you to speak outpublicly, condemning the human rights crackdown in Azerbaijan, and calling forthe release of the country’s jailed journalists and human rights defenders. Wehave provided a list in the appendix.
You could go even further in demonstrating thatyou are serious about the rights you so often promote by donating the money youhave earned for your Baku performance to the families of Azerbaijan’s politicalprisoners. They are seriously struggling, having lost not only the freedom of theirloved ones to a cruel political game, but having also lost vital income in acountry still rife with poverty, despite the authorities’ attempts to cover itup. We believe it is wrong that you have profited while it is our jailed friendsand colleagues who are paying the true price of the European Games.
Please, have some compassion for our colleagues,imprisoned for doing nothing more than speaking the truth and trying to changethe situation in Azerbaijan for the better. Show the world that you do care,and that your silence cannot be bought.
Sincerely yours,
Emin Milli, former political prisoner
ThomasHughes, Executive Director, ARTICLE 19
RobertHårdh, Executive Director, Civil Rights Defenders
NinaOgnianova, Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator, Committee to ProtectJournalists
Maran Turner,Executive Director, Freedom Now
Jodie Ginsberg,Chief Executive Officer, Index on Censorship
KarimLahidji, President, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), withinthe framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
PetraHavlikova, Project Coordinator of the Women’s Rights Are Human Rights Program, NESEHNUTI
Bjørn Engesland, Secretary General, NorwegianHelsinki Committee
KarinKarlekar, Director, Free Expression Program, PEN American Centre
IvanaSkalova, Head of the Eastern European Program, Center for Human Rights andDemocracy, People In Need
EmmaHughes, Strategy Director, Platform
JoannaFurmaga, Chairperson, Polish Green Network
GeraldStaberock, Secretary General, World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), withinthe framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
APPENDIX: LIST OF JAILED JOURNALISTS AND HUMANRIGHTS DEFENDERS
Jailedjournalists:
1. Nijat Aliyev – editor-in-chief of thewebsite azadxeber.az, serving a 10-year prison sentence on spurious charges ofdrug possession and the illegal import and sale of religious literature.
2. Araz Guliyev – editor of the websitexeber44.com, serving an eight-year prison sentence on spurious charges ofillegal possession of weapons, inciting hatred, and offensive action againstthe flag or emblem of Azerbaijan.
3. Parviz Hashimli – Bizim Yol newspaper reporter and editor of the moderator.azwebsite, serving an eight-year prison sentence on spurious charges oforganising the sale of weapons from Iran.
4. Seymur Hezi –Azadliq newspaper reporter and presenter of the Azerbaijan Hour satellitetelevision programme, serving a five-year prison sentence on spurioushooliganism charges.
5. Khadija Ismayilova – Radio FreeEurope/Radio Liberty journalist detained on spurious charges of embezzlement,illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, abuse of power, and inciting someone toattempt suicide.
6. Hilal Mammadov – editor-in-chief of Tolishi Sedo newspaper, serving afive-year prison sentence on spurious charges of drug possession, treason, andinciting hatred.
7. Rauf Mirkadirov – Zerkalo newspaper columnist, detained on spurious treason charges,awaiting trial.
8. Tofig Yagublu – Yenu Musavat newspaper columnist, serving a five-year prisonsentence on spurious charges of organising mass riots and using violenceagainst police officers.
Jailedhuman rights defenders:
1. Intigam Aliyev – human rightslawyer and Chairman of the Legal Education Society, serving a 7.5-year prisonsentence on spurious charges of tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship, andabuse of power.
2. Rasul Jafarov – Chairman ofthe Human Rights Club, serving a 6.5-year prison sentence on spurious chargesof tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship, and abuse of power.
3. Anar Mammadli – Chairman ofthe Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre, serving a 5.5-year prisonsentence on spurious charges of tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship, andabuse of power.
4. Arif Yunus – historian andacademic, detained on spurious charges of treason and fraud, awaiting trial.
5. Leyla Yunus – Director ofthe Institute for Peace and Democracy, detained on spurious charges of treason,fraud, forgery, tax evasion, and illegal entrepreneurship, awaiting trial.