Twelve detained members of Azerbaijan’s opposition went on hunger strike on Tuesday, May 15 to press for their release, according to opposition group Civic Ward, eleven days before the former Soviet republic is to host the Eurovision Song Contest, Amnesty International considers all hunger strikers to be political prisoners, dpa news reported.

Meanwhile Volker Beck, a German legislator of the Green Party, said the human rights situation in the former Soviet republic was "extremely critical."

The politician said he was planning to visit the Azeri capital Baku on Wednesday to take part in a human rights conference entitled Sing for Democracy. He was also due to meet gay rights activist Kamran Rzayev.

"The Azerbaijani government is blocking human rights activists wherever it can," Beck said. "The regime of Aliyev should not be allowed to turn Eurovision into a big propaganda show."

"We have no choice but to kick this dictator in the shin, verbally at least," he said.

Amnesty International has called for an end to police violence against dissidents in Azerbaijan. On Monday, authorities arrested about 20 people taking part in spontaneous protests against the regime.