Azerbaijan denies entry to Patriotic War veteran over Armenian surnameMay 15, 2018 - 18:25 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The border service of Azerbaijan denied entry to a Russian citizen who had survived the Siege of Leningrad due to her Armenian family name. 81-year-old Olga Barsegyan flew to Baku on the morning of May 13, but the border control of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport examined the passport, took the passenger aside and compiled an act of deportation, Fontanka reports. Eleven hours after the arrival, the woman was sent back to Moscow. Barsegyan was born in Leningrad, survived the blockade and is a veteran of the Great Patriotic War. She currently lives in St. Petersburg. This isn’t the first case when Azerbaijan denies entry to people with Armenian surnames irrespective of their citizenship. In 2013, a Russian journalist, Anna Sahakyan was not allowed to enter Azerbaijan, later being even declared a persona non grata for her Armenian family name. At various points, Azerbaijan Airlines refused to transport people with Armenian surnames, citing an order from Baku as a reason behind such a decision. In May 2016, an 8-year-old child with an Armenian surname was denied entry to Azerbaijan at Baku’s Heydar Aliyev international airport. A Russian citizen, M. V. Uyeldanov (Galustyan) was detained in Azerbaijan over his Armenian origin in July 2016. An Estonian citizen of Armenian origin was held at the airport in the Azerbaijani capital city of Baku for 12 hours and sent back to Estonia in late March. Top stories Six total incidents have burned 19 old-growth trees. Friday night 8 trees were torched along the beautiful main entrance. The EU does not intend to conduct military exercises with Armenia, Lead Spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Peter Stano says. Hikmet Hajiyev has said that there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer. A telephone conversation between Putin and Pashinyan before the CSTO summit is not planned, Peskov says. Partner news | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. Freedom House concerned by mounting reports of police violence in Armenia Freedom House urged Armenian authorities to investigate this pattern of excessive force and inhumane treatment. CSTO recognizes Armenia’s sovereign right to withdraw Tasmagambetov has said that if Armenia decides to leave the organization, “it will be the sovereign right of Armenia.” |