Disastrous consequences for Baku's 'clean up' ahead of European Games

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/28/european-games-baku-azerbaijan-fire-clean-up

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The Azeri government has come under intense criticism after a controversial series of bans, arrests and a devastating fire have marred its projects to “clean up” the city ahead of the European Games in June.

Nine people have been arrested and an investigation launched into the widespread use of flammable plastic cladding in renovation projects on central streets designed to present a “veneer of prosperity” to visitors, opposition leaders said.

The shocking blaze which killed 16 people, including five children, led to the resignation of Rasim Adjalov, the head supervisor of the inaugural Games.

These events have left many residents questioning their governments dedication to prioritising its image and silencing dissent over their own welfare, as journalists are jailed and critics are silenced in the lead up to the sporting event.

New rules

Beyond its disastrous attempts to spruce up the city’s buildings, Azerbaijan has also introduced a host of image-control measures.

One new rule is preventing local people from taking photos in Baku’s historical Old Town. Whilst photography is not officially banned, police and security guards have been taking action to prevent locals from taking photos.

The de facto ban has left some Baku residents in despair: “I was born and have grown up in this city and I am not allowed to take a picture of its most beautiful part,” said 29-year-old resident Anar Gurbanov. The unwritten rule does not seem to apply to tourists: “Tourists are allowed to take photos, but citizens have to get permission from the management of the Old Town,” said a security guard working in the area. According to city regulations posted online, permission to take photographs is not needed for individuals and does “not apply to the amateur (including tourists) shooting monuments in the area.” A city government spokesperson did not answer a request for comment on the clampdown.

Total image control

Some critics say that the government, obsessed with how Azerbaijan is perceived by the outside world, is seeking total control over the population.

With 6,000 athletes from 50 countries participating the ​​games offer an opportunity to raise Azerbaijan’s profile

The European Games are a pet project for Aliyev, who hopes the spectacle of 6,000 athletes participating from 50 countries will help to raise Azerbaijan’s international profile.

But controversial clean-up programmes ahead of major international events like Aliyev’s are not limited to Azerbaijan. In 2010 China was accused of covering up a major health scandal during the Beijing Olympics, while in the lead up to Russia’s controversial Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014 it was reported the city was mass killing its stray dogs, while the detention and arrest of protestors and activists intensified.

Hoping to avert traffic jams during the games, the city’s traffic police have also urged that no weddings or funerals be held in the city during the month of June.

‘A foreign guest, treated well, will talk about the hospitality’

Other games-related measures are set to disrupt the lives of Baku’s residents. Starting this month some public bus routes will be cancelled until July, while others have been changed to avoid the city centre, transportation ministry spokesperson Naming Hasanov said.

A number of streets also will be closed, a decision that will inconvenience an estimated 120,000 people.

Baku residents may grumble about the changes but the emphasis on pleasing foreign visitors is the government’s priority. “A foreign guest, treated well, will talk about the hospitality ... once they leave the country,” said blogger Arzu Geybullayeva, a government critic. “You do not have to do the same for the locals because there is nowhere they can go. And no one they can complain to.”