Nikolyan's FLAGrant provocation in Nikol's Armenia Can Yerevan lift this weight?

All eyes were on Armenia last week as the country was going to inaugurate the 2023 European Weightlifting Championships in a lavish opening ceremony that welcomed the participating delegations “directly from the aircraft” as part of a creative idea of the organisers. However, on April 14, those eyes suddenly switched from the aircraft to a flag that was set ablaze in front of the top-level audience in a flamboyant events hall in the capital Yerevan.

The flag that was fluttering in the flames at the hands of a man sprinting toward the venue’s exit was the flag of Azerbaijan. And the flag burner was Aram Nikolyan, a Yerevan-based fashion designer known for his close relationship with the ruling Armenian family. According to multiple sources, Nikolyan was among the high-level audience thanks to an exclusive “VIP pass” provided by the organisers.

Aram Nikolyan sets fire to Azerbaijan flag during the opening ceremony of the European Weightlifting Championships in Yerevan, Armenia, April 14, 2023

Armenian police were quick to react to the incident by bringing the culprit to a local department in Yerevan. The intervention of the police was touted by the Armenian public as a “legal assessment” of the scandal that should have brought charges against the villain. However, Nikolyan was released quite shortly after his detainment and given a hero’s welcome by the crowd waiting for him outside – applause, kisses, hugs, accolades and more.

“My act is exclusively the act of an Armenian man who has honour and dignity,” Nikolyan justified his desecration of the Azerbaijan flag. “My desire was that the flag of Azerbaijan would not wave in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, and most importantly, they never think that Armenians get used to or try to adapt to certain situations.”

Armenian Prime Minister's wife Anna Hakobyan and the flag incident villain Aram Nikolyan

In the meantime, the Armenian government claimed that “the incident that occurred during the opening ceremony was resolved very quickly” and it had nothing to do with guarantees of the safety of the athletes.

Armenia’s Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, Karen Giloyan, alleged that the Azerbaijani national team wanted to stay and participate in the European Championship after the incident, but they were ordered from Azerbaijan to leave Armenia. Giloyan’s remarks were confirmed neither by the Azerbaijani athletes nor the officials in Baku.

However, Nikolyan’s “heroism” caused a big uproar in Azerbaijan despite the attempts of the Armenian authorities to “extinguish the fire”. Azerbaijan’s Youth and Sports Ministry teamed up with its National Olympic Committee to condemn it as a “barbaric act” and as evidence of ethnic hatred and racism, accusing Armenia of failing to ensure the safety of athletes and host international sporting events.

In a joint statement on April 14, the ministry and the committee said the atmosphere of hatred and ensuing psychological pressure have made it impossible for the Azerbaijani athletes to continue their participation in the tournament.

On the same day, Azerbaijan announced the withdrawal of the national athletes from the continental sports event. The national team should have returned home via Türkiye on the Yerevan-Antalya flight. However, they missed the flight after being reportedly locked in a hotel by the Armenian side due to what was explained to be “security concerns”. Following hours of tensions, they were finally able to leave the neighbouring country for Georgia on a bus, from where they flew to Baku.

On April 15, the European Weightlifting Federation (EWF) “strongly condemned” the incident with the desecration of the Azerbaijan flag in Yerevan.

“The EWF considers this extremely serious and regrettable gesture an attack on the integrity of sports values and on the universal principles of Fair Play […] The EWF considers that this incident is an isolated one and will monitor the implementation of the additional measures requested urgently from the Organizing Committee,” the EFW said in a statement, pledging solidarity with the Azerbaijan athletes and weightlifting authorities.

In the meantime, the Azerbaijani General Prosecutor’s Office has initiated a criminal case under the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan against the individuals involved in the flag-burning incident. The Prosecutor’s Office established Aram Nikolyan and others as instigators of national hatred and enmity, and actions insulting the Azerbaijani flag. Appeals have been sent to international organizations for bringing them to judicial responsibility.

Making the headlines

The incident at the 2023 European Weightlifting Championship starring the Azerbaijan flag as a “victim” and an Armenian fashion designer as a “villain” has quickly taken the media across the world by storm.

Reuters called it “barbaric” in the headline of the news article published on April 15. US News reposted the Reuters article on its news feed, while Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, France 24, La Depeche, TRT Haber, ISNA, TASS, RIA Novosti, Kommersant, The National Post, as well as numerous other European, American, Russian, Indian, Turkish, French media outlets, as well as those in Azerbaijan, released articles about the provocation against Azerbaijan.

In the meantime, a Member of the French Senate, Nathalie Goulet, referred to the EWF statement to condemn the Armenian attack against Azerbaijan during the sports tournament. In a Twitter post on April 16, she called on Armenia to adhere to fair play and sports values as a host country.

#FairPlay #Sport # Values 🏋🏽‍♀️🏋🏽‍♀️🏋🏽‍♀️European Weightlifting Federation strongly condemns Armenian 🇦🇲 attack on Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 during Opening Ceremony of the European Weightlifting Championships in Yerevan on April 14, 2023 any sanctions or apologies https://t.co/0M2a4kP9s4

— Nathalie Goulet زن زندگی آزادی, (@senateur61) April 16, 2023

UK-based Armenian-origin journalist Onnik Krikorian wrote that the flag scandal “did not go well” for Armenia.

Mike Doran, an American analyst of international politics, said the desecration of the Azerbaijan flag may cost dear to Armenia stripping the country of the right to host the World Weightlifting Championships.  

Armenia may lose the right to host the World Weightlifting Championships due to the burning of the Azerbaijani flag at the European Championships. “The most upsetting thing is that Yerevan was already one step away from receiving it,” the Armenian deputy minister of sports said. pic.twitter.com/Yn6FxA7HKn

— Mike (@Doranimated) April 15, 2023

Deutsches Zentrum für Südkaukasus (German Center for South Caucasus) think tank organisation called the incident “disgusting”.

If you are looking for an answer to the question of how a nation can embarrass itself, watch this.
During the opening ceremony of the European Weightlifting Championship in #Armenia, member of the host country set fire to the flag of Azerbaijan.
Disgusting! pic.twitter.com/5n9yybANjN

— Deutsches Zentrum für Südkaukasus (@Sudkaukasus) April 14, 2023

Unabating hatred

With the uproar caused by the burning of the Azerbaijan flag gaining momentum, photos taken on April 16 at the events hall hosting the European Weightlifting Championships in Yerevan came as the second chapter of the flag incident. In the photos, the organisers were seen hanging out torn Azerbaijani and Turkish flags. However, following the protests, they renewed the flag of Türkiye but completely removed the Azerbaijan flag from the venue.

Azerbaijani and Turkish flags were seen hanging out torn (1st photo). The Turkish flag was replaced but the flag of Azerbaijan was completely removed (2nd photo)

“I apologize to the entire international civilized community for the fact that, as a citizen and deputy, I did not do everything possible to completely eradicate the manifestations of wild and barbaric tribes in my people. I am ashamed,” Armenian MP Hovik Agazaryan commented on the flag incidents.

The flags were burned and torn - for some, it was considered "heroism", others took it as an insult. In any case, every event, in particular, if it is a scandal (or provocation), causes certain effects and consequences. Armenia and the Armenian people were the real losers in the flag incident in Yerevan. Azerbaijan coped with the situation by showing adequate reaction and restraint. But nothing is over for Armenia yet. Most likely, Nikolyan’s "heroism" will further cast a shadow on the Pashinyan administration’s peace calls after Armenia’s border provocation on April 11 and the brutal torture of the Azerbaijani soldier a few days later ...