CPJ calls on users of social networks to support human rights campaign during European Games in Azerbaijan

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has urged to use the European Games to be launched in Baku on June 12 to draw attention to human rights violations in Azerbaijan through advantages of social networks on the Internet. Members of the pro-government local NGOs treat the criticism of Azerbaijan on the eve of the European Games as biased.

"According to the list of imprisoned journalists compiled by the CPJ annually, the country is the main jailer of journalists in Europe and Central Asia. According to the CPJ's study, Azerbaijan is ranked the fifth country the world in terms of rigid censorship in practice, ahead of Iran and China," the CPJ announces.

On June 12-28, the European Games in Baku will be highlighted by about 1300 international journalists, and the media have a unique chance to get more detailed information on the country where the censorship is in practice and where there are a lot of restrictions, the CPJ's article emphasized.

Nina Ognyanova, the CPJ's Programme Coordinator for Europe and Central Asia, has reported that in response to the advertising campaign under hashtag #HelloBaku launched by the Azerbaijan's authorities, human rights defenders started a campaign under hashtag #realBaku2015. Meanwhile, Nina Ognyanova has urged to obtain the information on issues of freedom of media and human rights in the social networks of Facebook and Twitter under hashtag #realBaku2015. She has also called on people to support the CPJ's campaign "PressUncuffed" for the release of journalists from prisons.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.