Justice
Mass Evictions in Baku as Eurovision Nears
Relocating citizens to make way for a big redevelopment push isn't unusual. What's striking in this case is the Azerbaijan government's apparent ruthlessness.
With the Eurovision Song Contest just two months away, the pace of construction in host city Baku, Azerbaijan, has reached its red-hot apex. Caspian shore roads are being extended, glorious marble parks are being laid, and the city's signature downtown concert venue is gasping toward completion.
The government has invested millions in a frenzied city makeover, an effort to put Baku on the luxury tourism map. Not so long ago, Baku was best known, if it was known at all, for being home to the world's largest flagpole (a superlative that was recently snatched away by Tajikistan). Now, city officials have plans for a fancy man-made island, a Frank Gehry-designed modern art museum, and the next world's tallest building.