No legal grounds to justify Hungary – ex-ombudsman
TERT.AM
19:44 – 01.09.12
The extradition of Ramil Safarov was not unpredictable judging by the
Hungarian authorities’ policies of the recent years, a former
Ombudsman of Armenia, Larisa Alaverdyan, has said.
According to her, the country has absolutely grounds to justify its decision.
`To bring a couple of articles from an international convention and
say it served as grounds for freeing [Safarov] is not something I
accept, so there is no reason to justify Hungary,’ she told reporters
on Saturday.
Alaverdyan said such precedents lead to revenge, giving rise to new
steps. At the same time, she wondered why the norms and instruments of
international law do not take effect.
Alaverdyan promised to ask for experienced scholars for their opinion
on the issue.
As for Serzh Sargsyan’s Friday speech, she considered it a little
belated, noting in the meantime that the president’s words will have
an effect.
Tigran Nahapetyan, a lawyer also attending the news conference, said
both Hungary and Azerbaijan made unacceptable steps. He said Hungary
could not have been unaware of Azerbaijan’s plan to grant Safarov a
pardon, given that many officials in the country had preivously him
the picture of patriotism.
`Azerbaijan’s human rights defender made a similar statement, noting
that that Ramil Safarov should be an example of patriotism for the
youth. Azerbaijan’s domestic legislation which does not allow for
pardoning convicts before the expiry of a 25-year period since the
passing of verdict, was also violated,’ he said.
Safarov axed Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan to death in 2004 when
both servicemen were in Hungary for a Nato-organized English language
training. The Budapest City Court sentenced Safarov to life
imprisonment in 2006, without any right to appeal against the ruling
for 30 years. But after being transferred to Azerbaijan, the murderer
was granted pardon by the country’s president, Ilham Aliyev. The
Armenian authorities voiced yesterday their intention to sever the
diplomatic ties with Hungary. The decision to pardon Safarov has been
also condemned by US President Barrack Obama, the Department of State,
and several congressmen.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.
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