Athletes from Azerbaijan are leaving the European Weightlifting Championships, which are taking place these days in Armenia, due to the demonstrative burning of the country’s flag. This was stated on April 15 in message on the website of the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan.
The incident occurred on April 14 in Yerevan at the opening ceremony of the European Weightlifting Championship. First, the audience booed the banner-bearer with the flag of Azerbaijan, who entered the stage, and then a man ran onto the stage, snatched the flag from her hands, set it on fire and ran away. The author of the provocation was the show’s designer Aram Nikolyan, who took part in organizing the event.
“In conditions when such an atmosphere of hatred reigns in Armenia, and security is not ensured, the normal participation of Azerbaijani athletes in competitions is impossible due to the psychological pressure exerted on them. Taking into account all this, a decision was made to return Azerbaijani athletes to their homeland,” the Azerbaijani side said in a statement.
The report of the committee called the burning of the flag at the ceremony a barbaric act. It also states that the man who committed the arson was met by the audience as a hero.
The Azerbaijani side called on the international community, including international sports organizations, to condemn the barbaric act, and the European Weightlifting Federation to impose sanctions against Armenia.
The country’s Olympic Committee considered that this event indicates Armenia’s inability to hold international sports competitions and ensure the safety of athletes.
Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan escalated against the backdrop of contesting the ownership of Nagorno-Karabakh, which in 1988 announced its secession from the Azerbaijan SSR. During the military conflict of 1992-1994, Baku lost control over Karabakh.
In November 2020, Armenia and Azerbaijan, with the participation of the Russian Federation, signed an agreement on the cessation of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh.
In the fall of 2022, the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border worsened. Yerevan and Baku accused each other of the escalation, and also reported deaths on each side.
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