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Making way for Eurovision

In May, the former Soviet¹ state of Azerbaijan will for the first time host the Eurovision Song Contest. The authorities are busy preparing the capital Baku, including building a new concert hall. But residents of nearby apartment blocks say they are being forced to leave their homes.

Reporter

Damien McGuinnes

Report

Despite freezing temperatures and recent heavy snow, Azerbaijan's authorities have taken the roof off the apartment block and cut off water and phone lines, forcing residents of the building's upper floors to leave, whether they like it or not.

Pensioner² Natalya Allibiakova is one of the few home owners still left. She says the compensation offered by the government is not enough to buy a similar property elsewhere.

She told the BBC that Eurovision will now for her always be a painful reminder³ of how she lost her home.

Azerbaijan's authorities argue that the compensation is adequate and Eurovision's organisers say the evictions are nothing to do with the contest. 

But human rights organisation⁴ Human Rights Watch says the evictions risk overshadowing the song contest. 

Azerbaijan sees Eurovision as a chance to attract international attention, but that spotlight⁵ is proving less welcome, as it's also revealing alleged⁶ human rights abuses.