AZERBAIJAN MAY BE BANNED FROM PARTICIPATING IN EUROVISION CONTEST FOR UP TO THREE YEARS

PanARMENIAN.Net
15.09.2009 20:50 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Eurovision’s Reference Group which consists of eight
members has met in Oslo and discussed the issue of interrogating Azeri
citizens who voted for Armenian singers Inga and Anush Arshakyans
during Eurovision 2009 contest, Eurovision’s Executive Director
Svante Stockselius said. A decision by the group will be sent to
the European Broadcasting Union’s Television Committee, which will
announce a final decision on Azerbaijan in the coming days.

Stockselius said Azerbaijan could be cleared of the charges or it
could be found to have violated Eurovision rules and either fined or
banned from participating in the contest for up to three years.

Reference Group consists of delegates from Russia, Serbia, and Norway,
Spain, Holland, Ireland, and two representatives from Sweden, Radio
Free Europe reports.

Earlier Azerbaijani press disseminated information that the country’s
National Security Ministry had interrogated 43 citizens who voted
for Armenian singers during contest. Azerbaijani official circles
deny such information.