Yesterday, Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), an international NGO based in Brussels, released a new report exposing companies behind Europe’s multi-million Euro image-laundering business. It focuses on the strong links between PR firms and repressive regimes, paying them in order to push their agenda and mask their dire human right records.

Case studies include:

  • the story of the spin doctors (Levick) whitewashing Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan’s image, and his catastrophic handling of Boko Haram ahead of next month’s elections;
  • a look at various PR companies (eg Gplus) spinning Russia (and state gas company Gazprom’s) position on the Ukraine conflict in Brussels;
  • a new Central Asian think tank in Brussels which is in essence a front group paid for by the dictatorship of Kazakhstan;
  • the lavishly funded PR firms, front groups (The European Azerbaijan Society) and their European Parliament friends working for the increasingly repressive dictatorship of Azerbaijan;
  • the Brussels firm modelling themselves on Washington lobbyists, defending the interests  – and assets – of the corrupt former Ukraine regime;
  • the PR firm BGR Gabara based in London and Brussels representing the Government of Bangladesh to manage its international image as it sentences to death several leading members of Islamic opposition parties in a flawed war crime tribunal process;
  • accused by International Criminal Court of crimes against humanity, Presidential candidate for Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta hired a PR firm to discredit the ICC during his election campaign.

Fore more informations, visit Corporte Europe Observatory’s website.

See the full report here (in English).