The inaugural European Games have opened in Azerbaijan in a lavish ceremony amid criticism of the country’s poor record on human rights…
“The colorful festivities in Baku must not blind anyone to the Azerbaijani government’s terrible and worsening human rights record,” said Chris Smith, chairman of the Helsinki Commission and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Noting that “the eyes of Europe will be on Baku” for the next 17 days, he said, “It is sad that the European Olympic Committees do not require that a potential host government take human rights seriously.”
Smith added that “last month’s closure of the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty bureau in Baku was the culmination of a monthslong campaign to silence one of the last free media sources in the country.”