HELSINKI FOUNDATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CALLS ON ATLETICO MADRID TO ANNUL ITS CONTRACT WITH AZERBAIJAN
18:08 21/08/2014 >> LAW
Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights calls on the Atletico Madrid
football team to stop its cooperation with authoritarian regime of
Azerbaijan, as reported by Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq.
According to the article the Vice-president of the organization
Adam Bodnar and Project coordinator Dominica Bychawska-Siniarska in
their letter have described the appalling condition of human rights
in Azerbaijan and have called for the revision of the sponsorship
agreement with Azerbaijan.
In their letter they also reminded of the arrests of human rights
defenders and politicians, journalists and civic activists within
the last few months for criticizing the government.
“After all this we do not understand why such as outstanding European
football team as Atletico Madrid would agree to promote on its shirts
one of the most repressive countries in the world,” says the letter.
The organization expresses hope that the football team will not stay
indifferent to their call.
“The Atletico Madrid players wear the logo ‘Land of Fire Azerbaijan’
on their shirts; however the situation in this country is such that
the slogan should read “the land of fire which burns democratic values
and human rights principles”. It is our deep regret that Azerbaijani
government’s oil has so much power to fuel democratic values and
human rights,” says the letter.
The full text of the letter can be found here.