The Azerbaijani weightlifting delegation is blocked in Yerevan in a hotel and is not allowed to leave for the airport to return to their country, the Ministry of Youth and Sports told Turan. "Armenia should ensure the safe return of our athletes, but now they are locked in a hotel without access to the media. We call on the international community and international sports organizations to sharply condemn this barbaric movement," the ministry quoted the head of the department, Farid Gaibov. 2023 April 15 (Saturday) 11:09:08 Azerbaijan returns its athletes from Armenia due to security threat Baku/15.04.23/Turan: After the incident with the burning of the Azerbaijani flag at the opening of the European Weightlifting Championship, Baku decided to return Azerbaijani athletes from the competition due to threats to their safety, a joint statement of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Azerbaijan and the National Olympic Committee of the country. "On April 14, 2023, in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, at the opening ceremony of the European Weightlifting Championship, the flag of Azerbaijan was defiantly burned by an officially accredited person," the document says. The statement draws attention to the fact that the flag was burned at a ceremony attended by the Prime Minister of Armenia and applauded by the audience. The presentation of the person who committed this act as a hero is a vivid example of ethnic hatred, racism, xenophobia, and Azerbaijanophobia in this country, which completely contradicts the principles of the noble goal of sports promoting peace and mutual understanding between peoples." "The politicization of sports is categorically unacceptable," the statement further states. "In conditions when such an atmosphere of hatred reigns in Armenia, security is not ensured, normal participation of Azerbaijani athletes in competitions is impossible due to psychological pressure. Considering all this, it was decided to return Azerbaijani athletes to their homeland. Armenia must ensure their safe return," the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the NOC of Azerbaijan said in a statement. They call on the international community and international sports organizations to "strongly condemn this barbaric act." "We also call on the European Weightlifting Federation to impose sanctions against Armenia. We believe that this event testifies to Armenia's inability to hold international sports competitions and ensure the safety of athletes," the statement concludes. According to Azerbaijani telegram channels, the members of the Azerbaijani delegation bought tickets for the Yerevan-Antalya flight, but the Armenian security forces do not release them allegedly under the pretext of security threats, actually taking the athletes hostage.
Source: Turan News Agency