Europa League final venue drenched in controversy but full of beauty

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Baku has plenty worth seeing but the country’s human rights record is described by Amnesty as appalling

For a country feeling ostracised by the European community, the spectacle of sport remains one of the last, best bets to buy respect.

How else to explain Azerbaijan’s enthusiasm for hosting European competitions, from Eurovision 2012 to the 2015 European Games and this year’s rhythmic gymnastics European championship, despite a severely chequered human rights records and fraught relations with most countries in Europe.

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from Football | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/football/2019/may/28/europa-league-final-controversy-baku-beauty-human-rights-amnesty

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