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International press coverage of the European Games has focused primarily on human-rights violations, in particular the ongoing detention of an estimated 35 political prisoners. The condemnation has only made the government “feel even more isolated and paranoid,” a civil society activist claimed, according to Eurasianet.org.

Some residents of Baku complain that they are being asked to bear an unfair financial burden. One man compared Azerbaijan to a mediocre artist who buys a gallery to show his work. “Of course, people may look, but they will laugh behind his back,” he told Eurasianet.org.

When asked about jailed investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova, one Baku waiter said, “We pretend we do not know who she is. But we do.” A private security guard urged a visiting foreigner to “write only good things” about the Games explaining that by the fact that the money has already been spent.

According to another publication of Eurasianet.org, some critics question the need for the Games. Sports Minister Azad Rahimov was a bit on the defensive amid reports of excessive spending. He claimed that the alleged 960 million manats ($914.55 million) price-tag for the Games was within range of initial estimates, but there are reports of much higher spending.

Eurasianet.org points that the European Games helped spread the word about the plight of the tens of imprisoned critics in one of the most repressive civil societies in the post-Soviet world. Reams of news stories and human rights groups’ reports highlighted the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan. “International media coverage of the crackdown has held a mirror up to Azerbaijan and showed the world that the country has something very shameful it wants to hide,” said Denis Krivosheev, deputy program director at Amnesty International.

According to the World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), on 26 June, Berlin-based Meydan TV Director Emin Milli reported that he had received a threat from the Azerbaijani Minister of Youth and Sport, Azad Rahimov, in connection with his critical reporting on the European Games. Former political prisoner Milli heads Meydan TV, a Berlin-based online television station that provides alternative news coverage of Azerbaijan. During the European Games, Meydan TV’s materials were widely used by the international media, including stories on the Azerbaijani bus driver who crashed into three Austrian swimmers, and the interview by a national television station of a fake British tourist – both of which were highly embarrassing to the ruling regime. Milli himself also gave more than 20 interviews on the games to the international media stating that Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev is responsible for the threat against him.

Later the following threat reached Milly from behalf of the Sport Minister: "What harm has [the] Azerbaijani state done to you? We will get you wherever you are and the state will punish you for this smear-campaign against the state that you have organized. You will get punished for this. You will not be able to walk freely in Berlin or anywhere else. You must know this".

Expert Alesker Mammadli told Turan information agency that the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, the UN agencies and the European Court are aware of the human rights situation in Azerbaijan. “The world media make a critical coverage of those issues and problems. Many in the Azerbaijani society expect a solution of those problems,” he said. “Today journalists, NGO leaders and lawyers are under arrest. Their arrests are in no way connected with objective reasons. If those raising these issues inside the country are silenced, it will continue to remain on the world media outlets’ agenda.”

EOG Eye On Gaming writes that according to The Guardian’s Nick Cohen, the European Olympic Committees needed to find some sense of self-importance. They tried with Belarus first, but the dire economic situation of the state proved too terrible to allow for the associated expenses; that is how Azerbaijan came into the picture.

The Irish Times writes that a big question is whether or not 2019 Games (and there is no venue yet) can attract athletics and swimming at a properly competitive European level, unlike Azerbaijan. Without them, these Games cannot attract the broadcasters and continental sponsors. “And after two weeks in Baku, I’m still not sure if the lasting feeling will be more of a political circus than a proper sporting event,” writes Ian O'Riordan, the journalist.

According to Al Jazeera video on YouTube, The Guardian published more than 30 articles on Azerbaijan in one month and only two had anything to do with the sporting part of the European Games, the German newspapers published more than 30 negative articles about Azerbaijan in less than 10 days. Some journalists were denied entry to the country.

“The refusal on the part of the government to admit certain journalists, they don’t want to see any critical reporting about Azerbaijan. They say, ‘Ok, you can come to Azerbaijan but report about how beautiful we are, how wonderful we are, how great is our food, how advanced we are’,” Kenan Aliyev, former director of the newspaper Azadlig, told Al Jazeera.

“The main pictures we see are how the winners of the Azerbaijani side are being awarded by the President. He’s there and he is presenting the award, using this opportunity to show that, see your success is connected to me,” Kenan Aliyev added.

According to Al Jazeera, most of the mass media in Azerbaijan is controlled by the state or by figures close to it. “Journalists do not even adhere to the basic mission of the press, which is to tell the truth,” deputy editor of Azadlig newspaper Rahim Haciyev said.
However, Aflatun Amashov, the chairman of Azerbaijan Press Council, told Al Jazeera that “the right to disseminate news and information belongs to Azerbaijan, just like the territory of Azerbaijan belongs to Azerbaijan.”

The journalist Arzu Geybullayeva says the reaction to the coverage of the European Games has been quite interesting, “They have come up with a very interesting concept saying that all the negative coverage is part of anti-Azerbaijani campaign directed from the US and more recently Germany.” According to Al Jazeera, for the government of Azerbaijan the lesson could be this – when you invite the world to tune and watch, it is not always possible to control the way that you are seen.

On 12-28 June, Baku hosted the first European Games under the auspices of the European Olympic Committee. According to media estimates, the Games cost the Azerbaijani population $10 billion. They became a serious headache for the locals with numerous bans and property demolitions. The preparatory works for the Games were accompanied not only by numerous reports about “bugs” and accidents, but also crackdowns and brutal repressions against dissent.

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