GB squad for Baku European Games named as human rights concerns rise

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/apr/23/gb-squad-baku-european-games-human-rights-azerbaijan

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The British Olympic Association has named a 153-strong squad for the inaugural European Games in Azerbaijan and BT Sport has announced it will televise the event. However, the announcements come against a backdrop of growing concern over an intensifying clampdown on freedom of speech and human rights by the regime led by the president, Ilham Aliyev, in the leadup to the opening ceremony in June.

The Baku Games, organised by the European Olympic Committees , will feature 6,000 athletes from 50 countries competing in 20 sports. However, in the past week alone two respected human rights activists have been imprisoned on what are widely deemed to be trumped-up charges linked to the event, which runs from 12-28 June.

Related: Turning black gold into sporting glitter: what Azerbaijan tells us about modern sport

Rasul Jafarov, a campaigner who was planning a Sport for Rights movement during the Games, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison last week. On Wednesday a prominent human rights lawyer Intigam Aliyev was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison on charges of tax evasion, illegal business and abuse of authority.

Amnesty International, which has identified at least 20 prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijan, said the charges were “spurious”. Aliyev, who has a range of health problems, has taken more than 200 cases to the European court of human rights and been successful in more than 40.

Critics are concerned that, far from forcing Azerbaijan to engage on issues of human rights and freedom of expression, the staging of the event is accelerating its determination to intimidate and silence independent journalists, activists, lawyers and opposition politicians.

Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s deputy director for Europe and central Asia, said: “Intigam Aliyev is the latest victim of a concerted campaign by authorities in Azerbaijan to sweep all of the country’s problems under the carpet as they prepare to host one of the largest European sports events in less than two months. The message is: ‘Tell the world about our problems and you will be punished’.

“The only crime Intigam Aliyev has committed is to defend the human rights of his fellow citizens. He should have never been jailed in the first place and must be released immediately and unconditionally.”

Khadija Ismayilova, an investigative journalist held since December and facing a possible 12-year prison sentence, had compiled a list of around 100 political prisoners before her arrest. Next month she will be honoured by the anti-censorship organisation Pen with an award for her work.

A coalition of human rights groups and sporting bodies including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, FifPro (the international football players’ union) and Supporters Direct Europe recently wrote to the EOC’s president, Pat Hickey, to call on him to speak out against human rights concerns. Eduard Nazarski, director of Amnesty International in the Netherlands, said: “The European Olympic Committees are in a unique position to raise these pressing human rights concerns with President Aliyev.

“By remaining silent, the European Olympic Committees risk sending a message that it is acceptable for the Azerbaijani government to silence critics while hosting an event that, according to the Olympic Charter, should stand for human dignity and sport at the heart of the harmonious development of society.”

Index on Censorship also condemned the imprisonment of Aliyev and called on other countries to speak out. Its chief executive, Jodie Ginsberg, said: “Index condemns this latest sentence from Azerbaijan – a country that forms part of the Council of Europe, yet upholds precious few of the human rights it has pledged to protect as part of that grouping.

“As Azerbaijan gets ready to welcome the rest of Europe to the first European Games in June, it is imperative that the rest of the world speaks out against the country’s brazen human rights abuses, and joins us in calling for the immediate release of Aliyev and his colleagues.”

The Games will be held amid intense debate over whether global sporting bodies such as the International Olympic Committee and Fifa should consider basic human rights concerns when choosing a host country. The IOC recently inserted a new non-discrimination clause in its host city contracts.

The Guardian revealed last month the Azerbaijani organising committee was funding the entire British squad and those of other competing nations. The BOA will send 153 athletes, it announced on Thursday, including Olympic medallists such as the boxer Nicola Adams and the taekwondo fighter Jade Jones, as it looks towards next year’s Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Team GB’s chef de mission, Mark England, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to announce the athletes who will be competing for Team GB at Baku 2015. It’s a great opportunity for many of them to test themselves against Europe’s best, gain crucial multi-sport Games experience or build on their road to Rio 2016.

“I’m also delighted to see such a large team from Great Britain heading out to Baku – our largest travelling delegation since the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games – and I’m sure it’ll be a hugely proud moment for each of them.”

The future of the European Games is uncertain, with swimming and athletics showing little appetite to roll their own European championships into the event. In Baku, swimming is a youth event while track and field, taking place in the new 68,000 capacity National Stadium, will feature only third-tier athletes.

However, 10 sports are using the Games as part of the qualification process for Rio and the EOC claims to have strong interest in hosting the 2019 edition.

It has also been announced, after an extended attempt by organisers to find a UK broadcast partner, that the inaugural European Games will be screened by BT Sport in the UK