Baku, June 11, AZERTAC 

Representatives of Youth Organizations in Azerbaijan held on Thursday a protest rally outside the office of the European Union in Azerbaijan, calling on the organization to abandon the policy of double standards.

They raised placards saying “Shame on the European Union!”, “Leave Azerbaijan alone”, “Civil society ignores double standards", "Don't politicize sport!".

Protesting anti-Azerbaijani hearings held at the European Parliament, the protesters called on the EU to defend the rights of one million Azerbaijani refugees and IDPs violated by Armenia.

Then the resolution of the protest was read out, and presented to the EU Delegation.

The resolution reads: “The first European Games, whose solemn opening ceremony will take place on June 12, is not merely a sports competition in terms of scale and importance, but one of the most remarkable events in the public and cultural life of the continent. Azerbaijan, which undertook to organize this grandiose sports festival, has successfully completed all preparatory work in a short period of time.

However, having seized the opportunity, some circles, which envy our country`s rapid development, its achievements in ensuring political pluralism, civil society and the rule of law, launched an unprecedented campaign of slander and smear. For a long time, some foreign NGOs and media organizations, encouraged by the Armenian lobby and patronized by neoimperialist-minded forces, have been trying hardly to downplay the Games and discredit Azerbaijan. Unfortunately, various groups and senior officials within the European Parliament joined such an inglorious mission against the organizer of the First European Games, which brings all European countries and nations together, and embodies unity, friendship and solidarity.

We, representatives of youth organizations in Azerbaijan, protest the actions - which are contrary to the ideas of democracy and freedom - of Martin Schulz and Ulrike Lunacek, who marred their reputation with dirty deeds and acting as henchmen in the anti-Azerbaijan network, and all like-minded, and demand an end of biased and sly activities against Azerbaijan. At the same time, we expect that the European Union and leadership of its member countries, who imposed severe sanctions on Russia for annexation of Crimea, would take adequate steps in relation to aggressor Armenia. We believe that MEPs with common sense, the European Commission and Council of the European Union will take our protest with understanding and take our demands into consideration.”