Sport For Rights: Open Letters to Clean Bandit and John Newman following their decision to perform at the closing ceremony of the Baku games
10 July 2015
Dear Mr Newman, (The Full letter to John Newman can be found here: 2015.07.10_Sport for Rights letter to John Newman_EN)
Dear Jack Patterson, Luke Patterson, Grace Chatto, and NeilAmin-Smith, (The full letter to the members of Clean Bandit can be found here: 2015.07.10_Sport for Rights letter to Clean Bandit_EN)
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. Furtherto your decision to perform at the closing ceremony of the games, we wanted todraw your attention to the unprecedented human rights crackdown taking place inAzerbaijan, and to ask you to consider our appeal to help our jailedAzerbaijani colleagues.
You may not be aware of the true situation in thecountry. In the run-up to the games, the Azerbaijani authorities workedaggressively to silence all forms of criticism and dissent, resulting in thearrests of dozens of political prisoners. As written by jailed Azerbaijanijournalist Khadija Ismayilova in a letter smuggled out of prison on the eve ofthe games, “Azerbaijan is in the midst of a human rights crisis. Things havenever been worse”.
The Azerbaijani regime has used 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 own people.
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 further show your support by donatingthe money you have earned for your Baku performance to the families of Azerbaijan’spolitical prisoners. They are seriously struggling, having lost not only thefreedom of their loved ones to a cruel political game, but having also lostvital income in a country still rife with poverty, despite the authorities’attempts to cover it up. We believe it is wrong that you have profited while itis our jailed friends and colleagues who are paying the true price of theEuropean 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,
Thomas Hughes, Executive Director, ARTICLE 19
Robert Hårdh, Executive Director, Civil Rights Defenders
Nina Ognianova, Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator, Committeeto Protect Journalists
Jodie Ginsberg, Chief Executive Officer, Index on Censorship
Karim Lahidji, President, International Federation for Human Rights(FIDH), within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of HumanRights Defenders
Karin Karlekar, Director, Free Expression Program, PEN American Centre
Emma Hughes, Strategy Director, Platform
Joanna Furmaga, Chairperson, Polish Green Network
Gerald Staberock, Secretary General, World Organisation Against Torture(OMCT) , within the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of HumanRights Defenders
APPENDIX:LIST OF JAILED JOURNALISTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS 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.