Armenian Singers Call for Boycott of Eurovision Song Contest in Baku

YEREVAN — A group of well-known Armenian singers have released a statement addressed to the European Broadcasting Union and the Armenian Public TV Company saying they decline from participating in the Eurovision Song Contest-2012 to take place in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The statement comes after Armenia’s Defense Ministry reported late on Thursday that an Armenian conscript was shot dead by an Azerbaijani sniper in the North-Eastern province of Tavush.
“And this happens at a time when the mediators in the negotiation process of the Karabakh conflict have for several times called on the conflicting parties to withdraw snipers from the Line of Contact,” read the statement signed by several Armenian singers.
Further it mentioned that Armenia has always declared it is ready to withdraw its snipers, while “Azerbaijan, as we can see, not only does not accept the proposal but also takes advantage of every occasion to shed the blood of Armenians”.
“Under these circumstances we, the undersigned, are stating in public that we have the most serious reservation over Armenia’s participation in the Eurovision to be held in Baku,” the statement added.
“We refuse to perform in a country that is notorious for its mass killings and massacres of Armenians, a country where the anti-Armenian sentiment is part of the state policy, a country where ethnic Armenians are denied entry, even if they are citizens of other countries,” the statement added.
Further, they called on Armenian Public TV Company to quit the idea of sending an Armenian participant to the contest, adding that they are ready to take part in it, should the European Broadcasting Union decide to hold the contest in another country.