YEREVAN, August 30 – Armenian media have reported the detention of Ashkhen Aleksanyan, Armenia’s consul in Austria, on suspicion of espionage in favor of Azerbaijan.
According to Hraparak.am, Aleksanyan was stopped about two months ago upon her return to Yerevan. Security officials allegedly discovered documents in her possession that raised suspicions of spying. Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) reportedly followed up with searches at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, checking files and computers.
The arrest was not made public at the time, reportedly to avoid scandal. Shortly after, information about Aleksanyan’s diplomatic posting disappeared from open sources, including the Foreign Ministry’s website.
Social Media Speculation
The case has triggered intense debate in Armenia. On Facebook and other platforms, some users have speculated that Aleksanyan may have been involved in a personal relationship with someone from Azerbaijan. No official source has confirmed these claims, but the rumors highlight how quickly espionage suspicions can become entangled with personal scandal in a highly polarized society.
Sensitive Timing
The alleged detention comes at a time of deep strain in Armenian-Azerbaijani relations. Despite the U.S.-brokered peace agreement signed earlier this month, mutual distrust remains strong, and espionage cases carry enormous symbolic weight. For Yerevan, the optics of a senior diplomat possibly compromised by Baku could undermine confidence in state institutions.
At the same time, the Armenian government has sought to project a new foreign policy identity, distancing itself from Moscow while engaging more directly with Western partners. Any espionage scandal linked to Azerbaijan risks complicating that balancing act, particularly if it exposes weaknesses in state security or diplomacy.
The Geopolitical Dimension
For Azerbaijan, even the suggestion of having infiltrated Armenia’s diplomatic corps — if substantiated — would be a strategic and psychological win. For Armenia, however, it would represent a serious breach of trust and a reminder of its vulnerabilities.
Diplomatic observers caution that such cases, whether proven or not, have the potential to derail fragile negotiations and inflame nationalist rhetoric on both sides.
Silence from Officials
So far, neither Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the NSS has issued an official statement about Aleksanyan’s case. That silence may reflect the extreme sensitivity of the allegations, as Yerevan weighs the risks of public acknowledgment against the costs of secrecy.
Analysis
Whether Aleksanyan’s detention proves to be a matter of espionage, personal misconduct, or political maneuvering, the scandal underscores a broader truth: trust between Armenia and Azerbaijan remains virtually non-existent. In a region where information wars are as fierce as those fought with weapons, even rumors can alter the political landscape.
