VIDEO: Aram Nikolyan Discusses His Motivation for Burning the Azerbaijani Flag

The designer and stylist Aram Nikolyan, who burned the Azerbaijani flag, stated that his action was purely a gesture of an Armenian man with dignity. He sent a video message after being released from police custody.

"My desire was solely to ensure that the Azerbaijani flag would not fly in the capital of the Republic of Armenia, Yerevan, and most importantly, that they would never think Armenians will adapt to any situations," said Nikolyan.

Nikolyan emphasized that he does not belong to any political force and does not wish for his actions to be interpreted in a way that might negatively affect the soldiers stationed at the borders.

"I wanted to make sure that the Azerbaijani flag would not fly in the capital of the Republic of Armenia, and most importantly, that they would never think Armenians are learning to adapt to certain situations. I regret the opinions of those who believe that my actions may negatively impact our soldiers at the border. I pray for those soldiers and for the citizens who keep that border secure. I am confident that those who think I shouldn’t have done this can think that at home, hang the Azerbaijani flag there, and find some solace in it," he added, expressing gratitude to those who supported him during this time.

It is noteworthy that during the opening ceremony of the European Weightlifting Championship, an incident occurred when designer and stylist Aram Nikolyan unexpectedly rushed to the stage, snatched the Azerbaijani flag from the hands of a flagbearer, and burned it in front of everyone.

Additionally, in a photo, it is visible that Aram Nikolyan is holding an ID, suggesting that he is a member of the team responsible for organizational tasks, likely the designer of the show participants' costumes.

After the incident, Nikolyan was taken into custody but was later released. Due to the absence of criminal intent, no criminal proceedings will be initiated against him.