Amnesty International Blocked from Visiting Baku Ahead of Games

The Crystal Hall, built to stage boxing and volleyball events during the 2015 European Games in Baku. (Photo: AFP)BAKU””International human rights advocacy group Amnesty International has been prohibited by the Azeri government from visiting the country ahead of the first European Games being hosted in Baku, The Guardian reports.
Amnesty International had been planning to launch a new report highlighting Azerbaijan’s recent widespread crackdown on freedom of speech and political opposition. However, just as Amnesty officials prepared to travel, they received a message from the Azerbaijan Embassy in London on Tuesday saying it was “not in a position to welcome the Amnesty mission to Baku at the present time.”