ARMENIAN, AZERBAIJANI TENSIONS SPILL OVER TO EUROVISION

RIA Novosti
20:4618/05/2009

YEREVAN, May 18 (RIA Novosti) – Armenia has lodged a complaint against
its neighbor Azerbaijan over what it calls a "gross violation" of
Eurovision regulations, regional media said on Monday.

Armenian Public Television (APT) has alleged that the part of the
screen with the number for viewers in Azerbaijan to call and vote for
the Armenian entry, Jan, Jan by Anush and Inga Arshakyan, was obscured.

The panarmenian.net news portal said that APT had "submitted a
complaint to the Eurovision organizing committee" over "the illegal
behavior of the Azerbaijani side."

Armenia, which received no points from Azerbaijan, gave one point
to the Azerbaijani representatives, Aysel and Arash, who took third
place in the glittering Moscow event. Armenia came 10th.

Relations have been tense for more than two decades between Armenia and
Azerbaijan over Nagorny Karabakh, a disputed region in Azerbaijan with
a largely Armenian population. Over 35,000 people died in fighting
over the area in the early 1990s before a ceasefire was signed in
1994. Nagorny Karabakh remains technically remains part of Azerbaijan,
but has its own de facto government.

The glitzy Eurovision final took place in Moscow on May 16. Norway
and the song Fairytale, performed by Alexander Rybak, proved to be
the runaway winner. Outsider Yohanna from Iceland was second with
her song Is it True?

Russia’s Anastasia Prikhodko finished 11th.

A total of 100,000 people visited Moscow’s Olympiysky Arena during
the rehearsals, two semifinals and the final on May 3-16, said Valery
Vinogradov, a Moscow deputy mayor and a member of the Eurovision 2009
organizing committee.