Azerbaijan: Jailed journalist criticises Azerbaijan corruption as European Games begin
A journalist jailed in Azerbaijan has criticised the country for corruption and human rights violations on the day the first European Games get under way in the capital, Baku.
Khadija Ismayilova was imprisoned last year after investigating corruption allegedly involving President Ilham Aliyev. Activists say the jailing was part of a wider crackdown on opposition in the lead-up to the event, the continent’s version of the Olympics.
“The truth is that Azerbaijan is in the midst of a human rights crisis. Things have never been worse,” says Ismayilova’s letter, released on Thursday by the PEN organisation. “As those at the top continue to profit from corruption, ordinary people are struggling to work, struggling to live, struggling for freedom.”
The original article can be found at www.theguardian.com
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