By Paul MacInnes
LONDON (Guardian) — Amnesty International has increased the pressure on European football’s governing body, UEFA, by saying Azerbaijan must not be allowed to “sportswash its appalling human rights record” by staging high-profile football matches.
Baku’s Olympic Stadium hosted the Europa League final between Arsenal and Chelsea on Wednesday, May 29, and is also the venue for four games in next year’s European Championship.
But the decision to stage the Europa League showpiece in the former Soviet republic has been strongly criticized by fans and human rights groups and, on Tuesday, the Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan said he would not travel to the game amid fears for his safety in a country that is locked in a simmering conflict with his native Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
“We must ensure that Azerbaijan isn’t allowed to sportswash its appalling human rights record as a result of the football fanfare,” Amnesty International’s UK director, Kate Allen, said. “Azerbaijan is in the grip of a sinister human rights crackdown, with journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders being ruthlessly targeted. Unfair trials and smear campaigns remain commonplace.
“LGBTI people have been arrested, and even people fleeing the country have been harassed and pressured to return. Fans, players and backroom staff can help prevent Azerbaijan’s likely attempt to sportswash its image by informing themselves about the human rights situation behind the glitzy facade of Wednesday’s match.
