Opinion of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan related to burning of the National Flag of Azerbaijan during the European Weightlifting Championship in Armenia

I strongly condemn the act of burning of the Azerbaijani flag at the opening ceremony of the European Weightlifting Championship hosted in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, on 14 April this year, and assess this act as a provocation based on ethnic hatred against Azerbaijanis.

I consider that as the organizer of an international-level sports competition, Armenia should respond to the international community for not fulfilling its obligations related to holding such an event properly and allowing the occurrence of that incident.

This and other similar acts committed by Armenia on the basis of hatred are clear examples of Azerbaijanophobia policy.

As the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, I urge the international organizations, in particular the International Weightlifting Federation and International Olympic Committee to strongly react to this act of vandalism and to take resolute steps, according to the existing international guidelines, against the organizing state which created conditions for committing such an act resulting in serious violation of rules of conduct of sports competitions.

Sabina Aliyeva

The Commissioner for Human Rights

(Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan

15 April 2023