During the visit of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to the federal chancellery, several unusual and tense situations reportedly unfolded on Tuesday. Aliyev arrived accompanied by his own security personnel, many of whom were disguised as journalists inside the chancellery. Concurrently, a highly critical journalist, known for his challenging questions, found himself under constant surveillance by agents from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).
Following the conclusion of the joint press conference between Aliyev and Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU), one of the individuals disguised as a journalist was observed attempting to return to official security lines via an unconventional route. According to a reporter from the dts news agency, German security officers were heard calling him, “He’s running around back there.”
Later, there were reports of a commotion in the grounds of the federal chancellery. Deputy Government Spokesman Steffen Meyer attempted to downplay the events on Wednesday. “I cannot confirm any disorderly scenes,” he stated. “What I can say is that after the press conference between the Chancellor and the Azerbaijani President, there was a brief discussion between German and Azerbaijani security personnel regarding the proper routes to leave the chancellery.” Meyer explained that this issue arose because some of the Azerbaijani security guards “were not immediately recognizable as such.” However, he added that the situation was “quickly resolved.”
This discrepancy in security awareness was only part of the oddities. Besides the disguised bodyguards in the audience, there was clearly an Aliyev-critical journalist who frequently interrupted and tried to ask questions but was repeatedly prevented from doing so. This journalist was actively monitored by German security forces; the dts news agency reported that a BKA officer was seated directly next to him during the press conference. When the man later complained that he was unable to ask a question, a German security officer reportedly told him in English that this was “better this way” and in the interest of his “safety,” adding that “something could have happened here.”
