BULGARIAN JOURNALIST EXPELLED FROM BAKU BECAUSE OF HIS ARMENIAN ORIGIN

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 18. ARMINFO. An unprecedented scandal took place at
Baku’s Bina airport Wednesday – well-known Bulgarian journalist of
Armenian origin Eduard Papazyan was expelled from Azerbaijan just
because he is Armenian.

Former Bulgarian Ambassador to Armenia Ivan Ivanchev says that
Papazyan, who is the chief sports editor of the biggest Bulgarian
daily “24 Hours,” came to Baku to cover the friendly match of the
Bulgarian and Azeri national football teams.

The Azeri side was previously notified who was coming to cover the
match and made no objection. The Bulgarian journalists arrived in Baku
with no problems. But the moment the passport control officer saw the
“hostile” name in Papazyan’s papers he began yelling “Armenian,
Armenian!”

“Yes I am Armenian but from Plovdiv,” said Papazyan but was arrested
right away by a huge bodyguard and taken for interrogation the main
question being since when he has been a Bulgarian citizen. Papazyan
explained that even his grandfather was born in and died for Bulgaria,
that he has been representing Bulgarian sports journalism for many
years and has had no problems in civilized and even not very much
civilized countries. The last remark made “the hosts” very angry.

An official representative told Papazyan that he felt sympathy for him
but could do nothing (whispering: everything is because of
Karabakh). After that Papazyan was put onto the same plane and
expelled from the country. Now he is in Istanbul waiting for Bulgarian
visa while the Bulgarian ambassadors to Baku and Ankara are
petitioning for him.

Ivanchev says that the incident has received an enormous response in
Bulgaria especially among the local Armenian community. 24 Hours
quotes Papazyan as saying: “I thought we live in the 21st century
rather than the Middle Age. I am proud of my roots and my family and
am not going to change my name for some Azerbaijan.” Ivanchev wonders
what explanations may come from the Azeri authorities.