The Eurovision spirit, Azerbaijani style
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reports:
Rovshan Nasirli, a young Eurovision [Song Contest] fan living in the Azerbaijani capital Baku, says he was summoned this week to the country’s National Security Ministry — to explain why he had voted for Armenia during this year’s competition in May.
“They wanted an explanation for why I voted for Armenia. They said it was a matter of national security,” Nasirli said. “They were trying to put psychological pressure on me, saying things like, ‘You have no sense of ethnic pride. How come you voted for Armenia?’ They made me write out an explanation, and then they let me go.”
A total of 43 Azeris voted for the Armenian duo Inga and Anush, and their song, “Jan-Jan.”
Nasirli, like others, used his mobile phone to send a text message expressing his preference, little imagining his vote would eventually result in a summons from national security officials. (By contrast, 1,065 Armenians voted for the Azerbaijani team, apparently without consequence.)
Azerbaijan and Armenia remain locked in a protracted dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly ethnic-Armenian enclave located within Azerbaijani territory. Relations between the two countries are poor, even as they appear to be nearing a breakthrough on Karabakh.
Here’s Freedom House’s summary of the state of political rights and civil liberties in Azerbaijan.
(Via The Daily Dish)
Comments
| 15 August 2009, 8:20 am |
You have to wonder about a country that is threatened by politically incorrect Eurovision voting.
| 15 August 2009, 9:23 pm |
Should be an automatic exclusion for Azerbaijan.
There’s precident of sorts in that Syria (iirc) got booted for cutting to a film about flower arranging during Israel’s set in years gone by. Eurovision loves it’s rules and this has to be breaking some of them. Another reason for me to count my blessings anyway, being born in a country where a stupid phone poll is just a stupid phone poll.
| 16 August 2009, 12:13 am |
Time was when a few Arab countries cut to adverts or other things during Israel’s entry, and pulled the plug entirely if the voting started to go Israel’s way.
Estonia’s song was much better for my money.
| 16 August 2009, 1:15 pm |
I’m a bit suprised that I didn’t see it coming. I’d registered that some dodgy former eastern bloc states known for questionable human rights had been admitted and I noticed the change to audience phone voting but I didn’t join the dots and spot that eurovision was going to be exposing people to danger.
| 16 August 2009, 2:45 pm |
Hilarious, but not surprising. The Azeris have had a collective nervous breakdown since the Artsakh Republic gained independence.
| 10 September 2009, 3:04 pm |
we shouldn’t do wrong to azeris people..
ths happening completely about their political system.
and i dnt like armenian song.. i think, azerbaijan was better..
Sheesh.
I bet the Armenian song was better.
How can you go wrong with “Jan-Jan”?