Aram Nikolyan Not Allowed to Enter H1 Building, Lawyer Claims

In the case of designer Aram Nikolyan, no criminal proceedings have been initiated due to the absence of a crime, according to a statement by lawyer Alexander Kochubayev on his Facebook page.

“1. No criminal proceedings have been initiated in the case of Aram Nikolyan due to the lack of a crime. Aram Nikolyan has not been dismissed from his job; rather, he is being prevented from entering the H1 building by police intervention. For burning the flag, Aram Nikolyan did not receive any money; this false information is circulated by 'Haykakan Zhamanak', against which a lawsuit for defamation will be filed. Aram Nikolyan is forbidden from entering libraries and all institutions with police checkpoints by order of police leadership. This is a striking example of personal persecution, blatant restriction of freedom of speech, and oppression in one's own country. P.S. The important thing is that Aram Nikolyan's spirit is intact, and he smiles broadly in the face of all this,” wrote Kochubayev.

It is worth recalling that Aram Nikolyan unexpectedly rushed onto the stage during the opening ceremony of the championship and, in a symbolic act, took the flag from a girl representing the country and set it on fire on stage. Law enforcement detained him, but he was later released. He later explained his actions, stating that it was a move of honor for an Armenian, and he did not want the Azerbaijani flag to wave in the capital of Armenia.