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â€œEurovisionâ€ representative of Sweden Loreen meets members of â€œSing for Democracyâ€ movement -PHOTO

â€œEurovisionâ€ representative of Sweden Loreen meets members of â€œSing for Democracyâ€ movement -<font color=red>PHOTO</font>

23 May 2012 19:32 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ramil Mammadli - APA â€œEurovision 2012â€ representative of Sweden Loreen met with head of the The Institute for Reportersâ€™ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) Emin Huseynov, Rasul Jafarov, head of the Human Rights Club and Cordinator of Norwegian house of Human Rights Shahla Ismayilova

The meeting, arranged at the press center of IRFS, was conducted with the support of â€œHuman Rights Defendersâ€ organization of Sweden and House of Human Rights, IRFS told APA.
Robert Hards, a representative of â€œCivil Rights Defendersâ€ organization also attended the meeting.

Loreen was informed about human rights and freedoms, freedom of assembly, freedom of speech, property rights conditions in Azerbaijan and her questions were answered.

Local human rights activists assessed meeting with Swedish singer as a support to â€œSing for Democracyâ€ movement. They proposed the singer to sound any supportive statement at the semi final and final of â€œEurovisionâ€ for the human situation in Azerbaijan

Loreen also noted that she was satisfied with the meeting and she will always try to defend and protect human rights and Azerbaijan will also be in this line.

Swedish ambassador to Azerbaijan Mikael Eriksson together with head of Musavat Party Isa Gambar and Azerbaijan Popular Front Party Ali Karimli met Eurovision-2012 representative of Sweden Loreen in the restaurant situated in Villa Petroleum yesterday.

The ambassador asked Loreen to sound the political statements and make calls concerning Azerbaijan during her performance at Eurovision stage. Opposition leaders also joined this request.

A group of foreign journalists also attended the meting. The meeting was take place on the initiative of the Swedish Ambassador to Azerbaijan, one of the journalists told APA. Loreen came to the meeting place under instruction and accompaniment of Swedish Ambassador but he didnâ€™t appear at the meeting room.
Swedish embassy has not started activity yet therefore Ambassador does not live in Azerbaijan permanently. He came to Azerbaijan regarding these arrangements. According to the information, at the meeting with human rights activists previous shooting of the meetings of â€œSing for Democracyâ€ and photos were demonstrated to Loreen and the singer was presented thesis to sound on Eurovision stage.

Although Opposition leaders confirmed that they have attended the meeting , head of the Musavat Party Isa Gambar noted â€œwe didnâ€™t make such a conversation.â€

Ali Hasanov, Head of Department of Public and Political Issues of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan also commented on the issue in his interview to APA. He assessed the fact as politicization.
â€œUnfortunately there are some attempts of politicization. The musical event can not be politicized. The attempt of party representatives to establish such communications through the musical contest is always condemned and will be condemned. I donâ€™t know details of this issue. The press reports show that the political party representatives had certain goals to establish communication with the Eurovision singers. We condemn this action if it has the purpose of politicizationâ€, said Alo Hasanov.

Swedish Embassy has not reacted this information yet.