European Games without Europe: Leaders of Western European countries disregard opening ceremony of Games in Baku
The athletes from Armenia have been accompanied by the Secretary General of the National Olympic Committee of Armenia, Hrachya Rostomyan, to the European Games. In total, the Armenian delegation is comprised of 54 people, with 25 of them being the participating athletes. According to the Caucasian Knot, the Armenian athletes arrived in Baku in groups. The first group of six athletes departed on 10 June, and the second group of four athletes and coaches on 11 June, Yuri Aleksanyan, the spokesperson for the National Olympic Committee (NOC) said.
The Armenian athletes will compete in 7 sports – taekwondo, judo, sambo, greco-roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling, boxing and shooting. The flag-bearer of the Armenian delegation at the opening of the European Games is the Secretary General of the NOC of Armenia, Hrachya Rostomyan. Armenia rejected Baku's support and will cover all the expenses of the Armenian delegation's participation in the European Games.
The leaders of Western European countries – except for those of the microstates – ignored the opening ceremony of the European Games, Turan Agency writes. Meanwhile, a resolution has been elaborated on in the German Parliament regarding the human rights situation in Azerbaijan; it is planned on the beginning of the European Games in Baku.
Since past year, the Azerbaijani government silenced almost all the independent and opposition media in the country. German TV ARD correspondent was denied accreditation to visit Azerbaijan even though he sought it more than a month ago. Azerbaijan denies entry to the journalists who criticize the government, and there is a 'black list.' Before the beginning of the European Games, the Foreign Ministry threatened to deny accreditation to the journalists who wrote 'against the territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Azerbaijan.' Nevertheless, the majority of the Western leaders will not visit Baku on those days and Azerbaijan runs the risk of making a history of a country that organized the first European Games without Europe,'' according to the program ''European Neighborhood' on radio RFI.
On 12-28 June, Baku will host the first European Games under the auspices of the European Olympic Committee. According to media estimates, the Games will cost the Azerbaijani population $10 billion. However, they have become a serious headache for the locals with numerous bans and demolition of property. The preparatory works for the Games are accompanied by crackdowns and brutal repressions against dissent.
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