Tert, Armenia
Sept 19 2009

European Broadcast Union to Change Eurovision Rules after Azerbaijan Inquest
12:33 ¢ 19.09.09

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) investigation into the reported
Azerbaijan arrests and interrogations of viewers who voted for Armenia
at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest has been concluded.

The EBU has stated that it will not take any sanctions against Azeri
broadcaster Ictimai; instead, they will change the Eurovision Song
Contest rules so that braodcasters can be held accountable for actions
taken by governments and telecom companies with respect to the
competition, says an EBU official statement issued yesterday.

For that reason, the EBU will change the rules of the Eurovision Song
Contest `to hold the participating broadcaster strictly liable for any
disclosure of information which could be used to identify voters.’ If
such activities ever take place in future, the EBU will be able to act
and ban the country from the competition or fine the broadcaster who
will be accountable from now on.

The investigation came after reports that viewers in Azerbaijan who
voted for Armenia were traced by the government and interrogated for
acting unpatriotically and being a potential threat to national
security. The news was circulated worldwide, and it seems unlikely
that voters in the country will risk voting for a country that could
lead to their arrest or questioning by the ministry of security. In
their statements to the EBU, the Azeri broadcaster confirmed that they
spoke to voters, though they deny any instance of interrogating or
arresting said voters.

Tert.am