Author: Andres-Papazian

THE DELEGATION OF ARMENIAN POLICE NOT TO ATTEND BAKU SUMMIT

Mediamax
Sept 3 2012
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. The delegation of the Armenian Police will not
attend the upcoming forum of heads of CIS Ministers of Internal
Affairs to be held in Baku.

The press service of the Armenian Police reported this today,
Mediamax reports.

Armenian Police Chief delegated his authorities as the President of
the Council of Ministers of Internal Affairs of CIS member-states to
Russian Interior Minister.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIA TO FACE AZERBAIJAN IN WORLD CHESS OLYMPIAD ROUND 7

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 3, 2012 – 22:39 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Armenian men’s team will face Azerbaijan in the
7th round of the World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul, Turkey.

In round 6, Armenia played in a 2-2 draw with Russia while Azerbaijan
defeated Croatia 3-1. Currently, Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan have
11 points each.

Armenian men’s team scored victories over Bolivia, Bangladesh, Spain,
Philippines and Ukraine in previous rounds.

From: A. Papazian

IRAN BUILT 30% OF MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM – AIR DEFENSE FORCE COMMANDER

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 3, 2012 – 19:12 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Iran has built about 30 percent of a missile defense
system it is developing in place of the Russian S-300 system Moscow
refused to sell it, and hopes to complete the system by next year,
a senior military official said on Monday, September 3, according
to Reuters.

Farzad Esmaili, commander of the army’s air defense force, also
reiterated that Iran will hold a large-scale air defense exercise in
the next two months covering the whole country, the Iranian Students’
News Agency (ISNA) reported.

Iran, under mounting pressure from Israel and Western powers over
its controversial nuclear program, has unveiled upgrades to weapons
systems and held several military exercises this year to demonstrate
its ability to defend itself.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged world powers on Sunday
to make clear to Tehran that they would not let it obtain nuclear
arms. Israeli rhetoric has stoked speculation that Israel might attack
Iran’s nuclear sites, some buried deep underground, before the U.S.

presidential election in November.

Western powers suspect Iran of trying to develop a nuclear weapons
capability and have imposed several rounds of sanctions on it, but
Tehran says its nuclear program is for purely peaceful purposes and
refuses to suspend it.

ISNA quoted Esmaili on Monday as saying Iran would test its air
defense systems in mid-to-late October or early November.

Moscow refused to sell the sophisticated S-300 system to Iran on the
ground that it would violate expanded U.N. sanctions imposed over
Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran announced in November 2010 that it had adapted another
Russian-made missile system to perform more like the S-300, a
precision, mobile, long-range air defense system that can detect,
track and destroy ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and low-flying
aircraft.

Military experts have cast doubt on Iran’s claims of weapons advances,
especially regarding its missile program, saying they are often
exaggerated.

On Sunday, deputy defense minister Mohammad Eslami said plans were
afoot to install missiles on long-distance unmanned drones that
featured in missile tests earlier this year.

Authorities say the Karrar drone, unveiled in 2010, has a range of
1,000 kms (625 miles) and can carry a single cruise missile or several
smaller missiles.

From: A. Papazian

ARMENIAN WOMAN KILLED IN SYRIA

September 03, 2012 | 16:50

YEREVAN. – An Armenian woman was killed as a result of an explosion
at the Armenian-populated Jaramana district of the Syrian capital,
Damascus, Armenia’s MFA Press Secretary Tigran Balayan told Armenian
News-NEWS.am, referring to the information released from the Armenian
Diocesan Headquarters of Damascus.

The victim’s identity is determined, too. Her name is Lusaper
Hagupian. Also, three Armenians sustained injuries.

Over fifteen Armenians already have lost their lives over the course
the armed conflict in Syria which continues for more than 1.5 years.

To note, around 60,000 Armenians live in Syria, and great majority
of them reside in Aleppo and Damascus.

From: A. Papazian

BRUSSELS CONCERNED ABOUT AZERI-HUNGARIAN DISPUTE OVER FREED MURDERER

armradio.am
03.09.2012 15:51

The release of a convicted Azerbaijani murderer was raised as an
issue at the European Commission~Rs daily press briefing on Monday.

Maja Kocijancic, spokesperson for the High Representative of the Union
for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said – answering a question
– that they are already in contact with the relevant governments,
including Hungary to exchange information on the case.

She noted that Brussels is ~Sconcerned” by the news that Hungary
extradited a convicted murderer to Azerbaijan who was pardoned by
the President there, enraging Armenia, the nation which is in a
long-standing conflict with Azerbaijan and whose army officer was
murdered by the freed convict with an axe in Hungary in 2004.

~SWe are concerned by the news that the President of Azerbaijan
pardoned an Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov who was convicted
and sentenced for life imprisonment for the murder of an Armanian
army officer in 2004,” Kocijancic told the press briefing.

She said they are ~Sclosely following the situation and are in contact
with the relevant sides to obtain more information.”

~SWe are particularly concerned about the possible impact that these
developments might have on the wider region and therefore we are
calling Azerbaijan and Armenia to exercise restraint on the ground
and in public statements in order to prevent any kind of escalation
of the situation.”

She confirmed that the EC is in touch also with Hungarian authorities
to exchange information.

From: A. Papazian

FORMER FM OSKANIAN: “FUROR SHOULD HAVE BEEN RAISED BEFORE SAFAROV’S EXTRADITION”

14:33, September 3, 2012

Commenting on the recent diplomatic flap between Yerevan and Budapest
regarding the extradition of convicted murderer Ramil Safarov,
former RA Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian described the incident as
detestable both morally and legally.

In a statement to the press, Oskanian said that given the centuries-old
friendship between Armenians and Hungarians, Budapest should have
consulted with Armenia beforehand.

The former minister also noted the historic Armenian community
in Hungary and Armenian participation in that nation’s liberation
struggle as factors obligating Budapest to have informed Yerevan of
its intentions.

Oskanian argues that Hungary violated the word and spirit of the
European Convention regarding extradition and that Budapest was fully
aware that Safarov wouldn’t serve out the rest of his prison term
upon returning to Baku.

Oskanian also points the finger at the Armenian Foreign Ministry,
claiming that it knew about the pending extradition some two weeks
before it happened. Even the Armenian community in Hungary sounded
the alarm, he states.

The former minister says Armenia reacted to the numerous warnings
with an attitude of indifference.

Oskanian states that all the furor in Armenia, Hungary and the
international community should have been voiced before the extradition
occurred, claiming that such an outcry would have prevented Safarov’s
extradition to Azerbaijan.

From: A. Papazian

Interfax, Russia
Sept 1 2012

Azerbaijan raps “hysterical” protests from Armenia at officer’s extradition

BAKU. Sept 1

Friday’s extradition to Azerbaijan of an Azeri army officer sentenced
to life imprisonment in Hungary in 2006 for murdering an Armenian was
a completely legitimate move, the Azeri Foreign Ministry argued on
Saturday, dismissing “hysterical” protests from the president of
Armenia.

Senior Lt. Ramil Safarov murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Markarian in
a fit of frenzy for allegedly insulting the Azeri flag during
NATO-organized classes in Budapest in 2004. In April 2006, a Budapest
court gave Safarov a life sentence without the right to appeal for
pardon for the first 30 years of his incarceration.

On Friday, Hungary sent Safarov back to Baku, and the same day Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev pardoned him. On Saturday, Azeri Defense
Minister Safar Abiyev had a meeting with Safarov at which he conferred
the rank of major on the officer, handed him keys to a new apartment
and returned him pay for eight and a half years.

“The repatriation of Ramil Safarov is a matter that belongs to
relations between Azerbaijan and Hungary, stays within the limits of
law and does not contradict any standards or principles of
international law,” Azeri Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev
told a briefing on Saturday.

“As regards the Armenian side, the hysterical statements of [President
Serzh] Sargzyan, who has his hands up to the elbow in the blood of
civilian residents of the Azeri town of Khojaly, are nothing else than
a show and an act of populism,” Abdullayev said.

as

From: A. Papazian

The Central Council of Armenia in Germany calls for organizing
demonstrations in front of the Hungarian diplomatic institutions in
Germany

hetq
00:19, September 3, 2012

On September 1the Central Council of Armenia in Germany (CCAG) issued
a press release in which the Council expressed its annoyance regarding
the decision of the Hungarian authorities to extradite the murderer
Ramil Safarov who was sentenced to life imprisonment and granting him
pardon by the President of Azerbaijan and making a hero of him.

CCAG expresses his protest against the evil deal made between Hungary
and Azerbaijan violating all the principles of international law. The
announcement goes, `it is unforgiveable that Baku grants pardon to
murderer Safarov immediately after his extradition and worships him.
Equally unforgivable is Budapest’s step. Hungary could clearly foresee
that Baku would not fulfill her promises and the murderer would not
suffer his punishment in his homeland’. The murder was committed
exclusively on the ethnic ground and the European governments should
express their views and give their political assessment about the
incident clearly. CCAG welcomes the decision of the Republic of
Armenia to cease all the diplomatic relations with Hungary, as well
as considers the severe criticisms against the Hungarian and Azeri
governments made by high-ranking French, Swedish, Hungarian and U.S.
officials as exemplary and hopes that the German authorities will
follow to the examples of their European and transoceanic partners
and will adequately condemn Baku- Budapest governments for the crime
they committed.

`Such conspiracies should not be tolerated and they should have their
equivalent international consequences. Hungary’s ideas of legality,
which the country displayed, are totally incompatible with the
fundamental values ??of the European Union’ said the President of the
CCAG Azat Ordukhanyan in the press release.

The Board of the CCAG finds that with this step Hungary not only
openly betrayed the European values and damaged the reputation of the
European Union, but also rose on the appalling as well dangerous stage
of clearly supporting terrorism. The Board regrets that this scandal,
as a shameful stigma, will be written on façade of the Hungarian
government building.

The CCAG once again reminds the European governments that by
justifying and idolizing a murderer who `chopped off’ a sleeping
man, the Azeri authorities and public openly put the emphasis of their
policy on advocating Armenia-phobia and anti-Armenian principles. They
are not even concerned of international condemnations when killing
Armenians in the capitals of Europe. They reaffirm the simple truth
stated by the nation of Artsakh for decades: the only warrant for the
security of their life and property is the international recognition
of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. This will serve as a minimum
barrier against the constant Azeri threat and will assure sustainable
development for the people living there.

The Central Council of Armenia in Germany calls all the Armenian
communities, organizations as well as individuals to make protests
in front of the Hungarian Embassy in Berlin as well as in front of all
Hungarian diplomatic institutions in other cities of Germany.

The Board of the Central Council of Armenians in Germany
Frankfurt am Main, Germany

From: A. Papazian

Safarov’s extradition raises wave of complaint in Romania

tert.am
19:42 – 02.09.12

Extradition of the murderer of the Armenian officer by the Hungarian
government raised a wave of complaint among the Romanian Armenians,
Armenpress news agency reports.

Besides the strict violations of international norms of legal and
diplomatic relations they view it as a blow to the memory of the
Hungarian Armenians who had significant contribution to the
reinforcement and development of the country. The leadership of the
Romanian Armenian community has convened assemblies on Saturday and
Sunday to discuss the further steps.

A decision has been made to release a joint statement by the Romanian
Armenian Union and Diocese. After getting City Hall’s permission a
protest rally will be conducted in front of the Hungarian embassy in
Bucharest.

The Romanian press is widely covering the developments over Safarov’s
extradition, refers to Armenia’s decision to suspend diplomatic
relations with Hungary. A number of leading mass media referred to the
murder of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan by Safarov, reported about
the latter’s trial in Budapest and honoring events in Azerbaijan on
the occasion of his return.

On September 2, at approximately 12.00 p.m. local time a person
imitating child’s voice called the Romanian police saying a bomb is
placed in the Hungary’s embassy. The employees were immediately
evacuated, the police searched the territory without finding anything.
The alarm was false.

Adam Balas, political consultant of the embassy, said it is a
frequently met phenomenon in Romania. The local press though ties the
incident with the extradition of Safarov.

Protest rallies are being held in front of Hungarian embassies in
different countries.

From: A. Papazian

HUNGARIAN GOVERNMENT SHARES MORAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR SPONSORING CRIMINAL ACT – FOREIGN MINISTRY

tert.am
01.09.12

Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement to the
Hungarian Government, expressing concerns over a decision to pardon
Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov, who was sentenced to life in
prison for brutally killing Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan during
a NATO training in Budapest.

The full text of the statement is below:

“On 31 August, 2012 the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice
of Hungary has announced about its authorisation to transfer Ramil
Sahib Safarov, an Azerbaijani national imprisoned in Hungary since 19
February 2004, sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Gurgen
Margaryan, an Armenian national, to Azerbaijan. In adopting such
decision, the Ministry referred to the Strasburg Convention on the
Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

The transfer of Ramil Sahib Safarov has been executed without delay.

Furthermore, President of Azerbaijan has issued a decree granting
pardon to Ramil Sahib Safarov, who already enjoys freedom in
Azerbaijan.

Ramil Sahib Safarov has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the
Courts of Hungary for committing an act of murder against Gurgen
Margaryan, an Armenian national. Both Safarov and Margaryan were
visiting Budapest to participate in a NATO PfP language training
course. While the Government of Hungary as the host state, has failed
to ensure the security of the Armenian participant at an international
event on its territory, its law enforcement institutions and Courts
have acted promptly to bring the perpetrator to justice.

The Government of Hungary has been informed on numerous occasions by
the authorities of Armenia about the environment of glorification and
justification of the murderous act of Ramil Sahib Safarov, cultivated
in Azerbaijan at official level, including the level of President of
Azerbaijan. The Government of Hungary could not have failed to note the
numerous public statements of the Azerbaijani officials at different
levels to this effect, which should have been sufficient grounds for
the doubt about the continuation of the enforcement of the sentence in
Azerbaijan. Therefore, the Government of Hungary should have foreseen
the implications of its decision to transfer Ramil Sahib Safarov,
which effectively resulted in the termination of serving justice by
a perpetrator of a murderous act. The Government of Hungary therefore
shares moral responsibility for sponsoring a grave criminal act.

The Government of Hungary, at different levels, including the highest,
have consistently and up until the last moment assured the Government
of Armenia that it will not take any steps whatsoever, which would
result in the termination of serving justice by the perpetrator of a
heinous murder and explicitly excluded any option for the execution
of the transfer. The manner, in which the Government of Hungary has
acted in respect of this matter, is also a cause for a deep regret.

Armenia considers the above decision of the Government of Hungary
as an unfriendly act, undermining the good co-operative relations
between Armenia and Hungary. Today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Armenia notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary about the
decision of the Government of Armenia to suspend diplomatic relations
between the two states.”

From: A. Papazian