| With just days to go to the final of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, BBC Panorama has been undercover inside its hosts Azerbaijan, to discover the extraordinary truth about this secretive country and its approach to the world's most watched non-sporting event. Reporter Paul Kenyon finds out how the contest has been used as a tool of intimidation: viewers have been interrogated for voting for the nation's long-term enemy, Armenia; a protest singer has been told to flee before Eurovision or he will be thrown in jail; and dozens have had their homes bulldozed to make way for the Eurovision event itself. The US embassy in Baku has compared the ruling family to the Mafia. The regime has held onto power through a combination of rigged elections, jailing opponents, and by irregular control of the country's vast oil wealth. Part 1, BBC Panorama, Azerbaijan Human Rights 2012, Sing for Democracy Campaign, Political Prisoners, Freedom of Speech, Eurovision Song Contest. ======================================================== Geysar Gurbanov is a civil rights activist from Azerbaijan. He advocates for peace, democracy, and human rights in the South Caucasus. Watch other related videos on his YouTube channel (youtube.com Learn more about the South Caucasus at southcaucasus.blogspot.com. |
