Montserrat Caballe declared persona non grata in Azerbaijan
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 6 June 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Montserrat Caballe declared persona non grata in Azerbaijan, 6 June 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/51d6cacd15.html [accessed 31 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 06, 2013
Spanish opera soprano Montserrat Caballe (file photo)
BAKU – Baku has declared Spain's prominent operatic soprano Montserrat Caballe persona non grata after she visited Azerbaijan's separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The Azerbaijani Embassy in Spain announced to journalists on June 6 that a special note had been sent to the Spanish Foreign Ministry demanding an explanations.
On June 4, Caballe visited Nagorno-Karabakh and met with the breakaway region's separatist leaders.
According to Azerbaijani officials, Caballe's managers were warned about the possible consequences of her visit to what was termed "Azerbaijan's occupied territories."
Nagorno-Karabakh is a mostly ethnic-Armenian-populated enclave surrounded by Azerbaijani territory.
Armenia, which controls Nagorno-Karabakh and several surrounding districts, has been locked in a dispute with Azerbaijan for more than two decades over the region.
Years of internationally mediated talks have failed to resolve the conflict.
Based on reporting by Trend.az and Interfax
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
