Armenian Ambassador Reports Death Threats from Azerbaijani Counterpart in Brussels

The Armenian Embassy has issued a formal complaint to diplomatic missions in Brussels after Armenian Ambassador Tigran Balayan reported receiving death threats from his Azerbaijani counterpart, Ambassador Vaqif Sadiqov. According to POLITICO, the alleged incident occurred at a Turkish Embassy reception at the Tangla Hotel in Brussels, held to celebrate Turkey's national day. This event marked the first Ankara-sponsored gathering that Armenia’s diplomatic mission had attended since the 2020 war perpetrated by Azerbaijan against Armenia.

In a letter circulated among diplomats last week, seen by POLITICO, Ambassador Balayan described being “verbally attacked and intimidated” by Sadiqov, who allegedly “voiced explicit threats against his life.” The Armenian Embassy quickly lodged a protest, citing concerns for its ambassador's safety amid the intense historical and regional tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani Ambassador Sadiqov, however, denied that any such incident took place, calling the accusations “ridiculous” in his comments to POLITICO. “I am not aware of any letter or allegation — Armenian diplomats can claim whatever they want,” he said, adding that the gathering was “a standard diplomatic event as usual,” with no untoward events.

The Turkish Embassy, which organized the event, has not commented on the incident, and the Armenian Embassy has also declined to provide further details about the exchange. 

This incident represents yet another chapter in the ongoing Armenophobia against all Armenians by Azerbaijan.