DECISION TO BE RATIFIED BY TELEVISION COMMITTEE
esctoday.com
Sept 14 2009
EBU concludes Azerbaijan InvestigationRadio Liberty has received
confirmation from Svante Stockselius, Executive Supervisor of the
Eurovision Song Contest, that the EBU’s investigation into reported
interrogation of people in Azerbaijan voting for Armenia at the 2009
Eurovision Song Contest has now been concluded and discussed by the
Reference Group for the competition. Their decision has been passed
to the EBU Television Committee who will announce a final decision
in the next few days.
The investigation was launched after reports of Azeri members of the
public were called for questioning over voting for Armenia at the
2009 Eurovision Song Contest. The issue became a headline news story
around the world. The result of the EBU investigation and decision
on any action by the Reference Group must now be ratified by the EBU
Television Committee before any action can be taken.
Radio Liberty report that Svante Stockselius explained that 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.