![]() “Can you tell me where we are going to be racing?” He said the US – “the greatest place in the world” – was a “bit of a shithole” compared with glitzy Azerbaijan. ![]() He also dismissed concerns over government corruption in Azerbaijan, highlighted in the Panama Papers leaks. 100%.” Asked about dozens of political prisoners jailed for criticising the ruling Aliyev family, Ecclestone said: “So they should. “Do any of you know what human rights are?” Asked if Formula One had a clear conscience, he replied: “Absolutely. When asked about the criticism on Thursday, Ecclestone gave what campaigners described as a “jaw-dropping” response: “The minute people tell me what human rights are, then you can have a look at them and see how and when and where it applies,” Ecclestone said. Formula One’s chief executive Bernie Ecclestone, British driver Lewis Hamilton and the three music stars scheduled to appear – Pharrell Williams, Chris Brown and Enrique Iglesias – have all come under fire for not doing so, and the call has largely been ignored as drivers prepare for what will be one of the fastest street circuits in the world. Human rights campaigners working to draw attention to the restrictive regime in the country have appealed to high-profile Formula One fans, celebrities and drivers at today’s inaugural Azerbaijan Grand Prix to criticise or draw attention to the regime’s human rights record. ![]() Well away from the limelight of this weekend’s 3.7-mile grand prix circuit through the city are Azerbaijan’s prisons – their populations swollen by activists, journalists, bloggers and opposition figures. ![]() The asphalt has been laid over Baku’s ancient cobbled streets, many residential buildings have been covered with false fronts for the cameras, and bling-built new ones are on proud display. ![]()
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