The Azerbaijani government hopes that hosting Eurovision will blind the international community to its shocking human rights record. Join people from around the world who are signing the Index on Censorship petition to protect free speech in Azerbaijan.
By sharing the petition now and during the Eurovision final on Saturday night, we can stop the Azerbaijani government from using Eurovision for its own agenda.
The brutal reality of life in Azerbaijan
In March, journalist Idrak Abbasov was awarded the Index/Guardian Journalism award for his work investigating the activities of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR). When he accepted the award on the night, Idrak said: 'In countries such as Azerbaijan we journalists have to make a choice, and we choose the right to tell the truth. Sometimes, this right costs a journalist his or her life.' Just a few weeks later, while trying to film the demolition of houses in his village, Idrak was beaten unconscious by security guards while the police looked on. This was not an isolated incident. Other journalists, musicians and activists have been attacked, abducted and tortured. Find out more about Azerbaijan.
#guiltfreeEurovision
Eurovision is a guilty pleasure for many of us but we cannot let the Azerbaijani government use it to showcase the country as a modern democracy. On behalf of Idrak and other activists in Azerbaijan, we ask you to take action now and tweet the petition using #guiltfreeEurovision on the night.