January 10, 2012

Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital, will host the Eurovision 2012 song contest in just a few months. Given that the wildly popular TV event provides the Azerbaijani government a showcase for the energy-rich South Caucasus nation, efforts to spruce up the city are already in full swing. But an initiative designed to tackle Baku’s stray dog problem is sparking complaints from animal rights activists.

It’s the method used to address the issue that has dog-lovers upset. Officials are simply sending animal-control officers out into the streets with rifles and they are shooting strays. Activists contend that the policy violates international agreements covering basic animal rights.

Azer Garayev, a representative of the Azerbaijan Society for the Protection of Animals, claims that animal-control officers are indiscriminately shooting any suspected stray dog that they encounter --without determining beforehand whether the animals pose a threat to public health and safety -- and then authorities are improperly disposing of the carcasses. “The government does not have a shelter for stray dogs and cats. They burn the dead bodies of animals,” he said. He went on to allege that such treatment violates the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, an agreement that Azerbaijan signed in 2003. The Convention calls on authorities to handle animal-control related issues “in a way which does not cause avoidable pain, suffering or distress.”

Sanan Niftaliyev, the head of the Baku municipal government department responsible for animal-control issues, confirmed that a campaign was underway to contain the stray dog population in advance of the Eurovision contest in May. Disputing animal rights activists’ assertions, Niftaliyev contended that all the animals on Baku’s streets were being tested by veterinarians, and only the sick ones were being shot. He acknowledged that officials were keeping statistics on the number of stray dogs that have been culled, but he declined to share the figures with a EurasiaNet.org correspondent.

Video footage of animal-control officers in action have made it on to YouTube, helping whip up outrage among dog lovers. Natavan Aliyeva, 31, watched one such clip and said she couldn’t stop crying. “It was devastating!” she said. “Animals should not be treated that way.”

More than 7,000 animal lovers have signed a petition that calls on officials to change the current policy. “Please help us be heard!! We speak up for animals because they cannot speak for themselves,” states, the petition, which, judging by the number of signatures gathered, is one of the most widely supported civic initiatives in recent memory in Baku.

Officials have taken note of the outcry, but it appears unlikely that it will prompt a change in tactics. “We are aware of that petition. But the signers should understand us that we have to care about the safety of expected [Eurovision contest] guests too,” said Niftaliyev, the city official.

Animal rights activists aren’t the only ones upset with aspects of the Eurovision competition preparations. According to one local non-governmental organization, the Public Association for Assistance to Free Economy, officials have evicted more than 200 families from their dwellings to make way for Eurovision-related infrastructure improvements. Twenty of the displaced families have filed a lawsuit against the city government, alleging that their property rights were violated. Zohrab Ismayil, the Public Association’s chair, contends that the payouts given to displaced families amounted to less than half the fair market value for the properties taken by the government.

Ali Hasanov, a top aide to President Ilham Aliyev, denied that the evictions were tied specifically to the Eurovision contest. Instead, he said that the displacements were connected with a long-planned urban renewal initiative.

Meanwhile, transparency advocates are seeking more information on state expenditures relating to hosting the Eurovision contest. At present, details on specific Eurovision plans, and their costs, are lacking, fostering concern that some state funds are being improperly diverted, NGO activists say. In its 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index, the watchdog group Transparency International ranked Azerbaijan 143rd out of the 183 countries surveyed.

Source:  Eurasianet.org 

A polygon (shelter) will be created. The place is going to be made for the homeless dogs, they will be kept in a special area. When dogs fill their years, they will be put to sleep and burned. 

Memmedov said, that when the polygon is created, the dog will be handed over there.

Giving dogs for adoption is not considered. 

The Chief Executive noted that the homeless dogs are not used for any purpose at present. The dogs in the polygon might be used for some purposes and it is intended to accept only dogs. But in the future, the skin of dogs might be used. Taking the dogs street living conditions into consideration, the quality of their skin is not good, but might be improved after care in the polygon.

According to Memmedov the location of the polygon is not determined yet, but it must be away from the city. 

The dogs will be vaccinated against rabbies. He could not tell yet, what organization is going to be responsible for the polygon.

Source:  http://www.milli.az/news/society/85621.html#comments 

Explanation of the video below, uploaded on 18/01/2012 onto youtube:

The title says "Homeless animals are killed in a very cruel way in Azerbaijan"

The woman says that dogs are attacking people, their kids. 

The older man, speaking after the woman, says that it's better to kill the dogs because they are going to have rabies and their death will be even more painful. So the village people started to kill the dogs.

The (official) chief engineer of cleaning department, says at 1.45 sec, that 7.016 dogs have been killed in Otan city. And that officials say: "if the number of homeless dogs increases, then the number of killers increases too. People don't leave them homeless and started hunting dogs"

To the President of Azerbaijan, Mr Ilham Aliyev
Executive Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Istiglaliyyat street, 19
"The President Palace"
AZ1066 - Baku City
Azerbaijan
email: office@pa.gov.az
Fax: (0099 412) 492 35 43, 492 06 25





SUBJECT: killing of stray animals as part of the preparation for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku

Mister President,

since a few months already, animal rights activists from your country are reporting that your administrations are working hard to get rid of your homeless animals as part of their preparations for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, and that animal-control officers are indiscriminately shooting any suspected stray dog that they encounter - without determining beforehand whether the animals pose a threat to public health and safety.

Since videos showing your dog catchers at work have been uploaded onto youtube and articles have been published in your local media, there is evidence enough that confirms what your citizens have been reporting.

http://www.occupyforanimals.org/azerbaijan-kills-its-stray-animals-in-preparation-of-eurovision-song-contest-2012.html

We were shocked to learn about this and also quite surprised cause we thought that after the scandal of Ukraine and the world-wide boycott of the Eurofoot 2012, the message that the majority of people no longer accept such behavior, should be clear to all countries.

We were appalled to learn that the dog catchers would only use one single bullet per animal, regardless if the animal is instantly killed or not, and - in order not to spend another bullet - they "simply" kill the animals by hitting them with their guns, till death.

We have also learned that stray dogs have been killed next to schools, in front of the young children who until then took care of these animals. These poor children have seen their friends - the dogs who they had fed and caressed - being brutally murdered!

As if these atrocities were not enough, we could read in an interview published in your newspaper "Milli" (Trend) on 15/12/2011
http://www.milli.az/news/society/85621.html#comments that your Enforcement Department, represented by Ahmed Memmedov, is considering the construction of a "polygon" (shelter) in a remote area, but that the adoption of the animals who would be gathered there is not considered. In this interview, Mr Ahmed Memmedov, did not make a mockery of the fact that the skins of the (dead) dogs might very well be used in some way. 

Such behavior is not only unacceptable for a civilized country but such treatment also violates the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals, an agreement that Azerbaijan signed in 2003. The Convention calls on authorities to handle animal-control related issues “in a way which does not cause avoidable pain, suffering or distress".  

This situation is leading to increasing world-wide information campaigns and protests against the atrocities that are being carried out in your country and you can thus expect boycott of tourism and commerce, advertising against Azerbaijan, demonstrations in front of your embassies, travel agencies, on the internet and various media.

Mister President, we diplomatically ask you to put a halt to these killings immediately and to collaborate with well-known international animal welfare organisations that can advise you, and help your administrations achieve a spay and neuter program right now. 

Not doing so would be harmful to the beauty and values of your country, would reduce tourism, and increase the lack of consideration and interest for the Eurovision Song Contest 2012. 

Yours respectfullly,


....................................................................
please sign with your name, city, country

To:

The President of Azerbaijan, Mr Ilham Aliyev
Executive Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Istiglaliyyat street, 19
"The President Palace"
AZ1066- Baku City
Azerbaijan
email: office@pa.gov.az  


CC:

European Council
cm@coe.int, bureau.bruxelles@coe.int, bureau.paris@coe.int

and
European Broadcasting Union (EBU) 
Geneva headquarters
L'Ancienne-Route 17A
CH-1218 Grand-Saconnex
Suisse Tel.: + 41 (0)22 717 2111
Fax: + 41 (0)22 747 4000
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as well as the sponsors:

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Batika Baku
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Please inform the media also by adding some addresses as BCC.  Below, you will find a selection of email addresses - please choose any you like.


British newspapers: 

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The Times
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The Daily Telegraph
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News of the World
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Daily Post (Liverpool)
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The Daily Record (Scotland)
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Major news-channels:

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