European Weightlifting Championships marred by Azerbaijan flag burning incident
Tension Rises Between Armenia and Azerbaijan as Azerbaijani Flag is Burnt in Yerevan
The normalization process between Armenia and Azerbaijan is being hit by tensions following the liberation of Azerbaijani lands from occupation. In recent days, tensions flared up after two Azerbaijani soldiers lost their way and were captured within the borders of Armenia, resulting in a coup d’etat. The latest incident has occurred in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, during the opening ceremony of the European Weightlifting Championships.
The ceremony was marred by a big scandal when the Azerbaijani flag was displayed on the stage. Whistles rose in the hall as the flag was shown. Worse still, a spectator went to the front of the stage and took the flag from the girl carrying the Azerbaijani flag and burned it. The incident caused outrage and the individual was immediately removed from the hall. Officials managed to retrieve the burnt flag from the demonstrator.
The European Weightlifting Federation will investigate the incident to determine whether or not Armenia will be penalized for the ugly act. The incident marks an escalation in tensions between the two countries, which have been at odds for years. The normalization process is further complicated by these incidents, but it remains to be seen how the two countries will resolve the issues they are facing.
