07:13, 15 May 2018

In Baku, marathon in support of orphans turns into a PR action for authorities

A marathon in support of orphans in Baku gathered more than 12,000 participants. Photo by Aziz Karimov for the "Caucasian Knot"

A marathon has been held in Baku. All the funds raised during it will be directed to support children deprived of parental care. The marathon has become a PR-action for the authorities and measures to support social orphans should not be advertised, believes Natiq Jafarli, a member of the Mejlis of the "Republican Initiative" Party.

In the capital of Azerbaijan, competitions are held for the third year on the initiative of Heydar Aliev Foundation headed by First Vice President Mekhriban Alieva.

This year, the race for a distance of 21 km involved 18,000 people, including citizens of Italy, France, Russia, Turkey, Iran, Georgia, Iraq, the United States, and other countries.

Politician Natiq Jafarli believes that measures for social protection of the population are a state duty and should not be advertised.

Many Azerbaijani citizens refuse to adopt children because of prejudice in society, and graduates of orphanages and boarding schools experience difficulties in obtaining education and housing, notes Yusif Bekirov, the head of the League for the Protection of Children's Rights.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Faik Medjid

Source: CK correspondent