Amnesty International has increased the pressure on European football’s governing body Uefa by saying Azerbaijan must not be allowed to “sportswash its appalling human rights record” by staging high-profile football matches. In a statement, Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen said: “Fans will be glued to their TVs during this game but we must ensure that Azerbaijan isn’t allowed to ‘sportswash’ its appalling human rights record as a result of the football fanfare. “Azerbaijan is in the grip of a sinister human rights crackdown, with journalists, bloggers and human rights defenders being ruthlessly targeted. Arsenal’s Armenian midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan will miss the Europa League final over safety concerns. Photograph: Tim Goode/PA“All too often, governments are using high-profile sporting competitions to distract attention from repressive policies and human rights violations, to instead project an image of openness.

Source: The Irish Times May 22, 2019 11:50 UTC