Author: Babajanian Karo

CSTO TO HOLD ANNUAL MILITARY EXERCISES IN ARMENIA

Xinhua General News Service
September 11, 2012 Tuesday 11:10 AM EST
China

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), a military
alliance among members of the Commonwealth of Independent States,
will hold its annual joint military exercises on Saturday.

The “Cooperation-2012” drills will last until Sept. 19 and involve
the armed forces of Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan
and Tajikistan.

Combat-training exercises were staged here Monday in preparation for
the regional security bloc’s military drill. A total of 100 Russian
troops and Armenian tank units took part in the rehearsal.

HUNGARIAN SOCIALISTS URGE “MORALLY BANKRUPT” PM TO QUIT OVER SAFAROV CASE

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 12, 2012 – 17:13 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Hungarian prime minister is “morally bankrupt” and
should resign after admitting that he personally approved the transfer
of the Azeri axe murderer while knowing the likely consequences, the
leader of the opposition Socialists said, according to Politics.hu
website.

Attila Mesterhazy said it was clear from Orban’s comments at a
news conference on Tuesday September 11 that he had been aware that
Azerbaijan would release the life-sentenced Ramil Safarov after his
repatriation.

Mesterhazy said Orban had been warned by Foreign Minister Janos
Martonyi and Justice Minister Tibor Navracsics about the likely
consequences and he took the decision nevertheless. Orban took this
decision “without thinking”and is the only one to blame for the
scandal, he added.

If Orban refuses to resign, Fidesz lawmakers should try to control him
and prevent his actions from causing further damage to the country,
the Socialist leader said.

Orban told a press conference earlier in the day that “nothing happened
after our decision that we did not expect”. He was responding to an
article published by the online news portal origo.hu which accused
Orban of ordering the transfer of Ramil Safarov with full knowledge
that he would be released on his return to his homeland sooner
or later.

Orban said the decision was taken at a government level and all
ministries affected were involved, but he, “naturally, as always,”
had the final say.

Janos Lazar, head of the Prime Minister’s Office, rejected news
website origo.hu’s information that the issue had been discussed at
a recent Fidesz board session. He said that Prime Minister Viktor
Orban had not given any kind of instruction to transfer Safarov,
nor had he been in a position to.

Mesterhazy insisted that Lazar had been “lying” when he told Origo
that Orban had “not given any orders” to repatriate Safarov.

The topic of the repatriation of the Azeri axe murderer to his native
Azerbaijan was taken off the agenda of the parliamentary national
security committee’s Tuesday session at the initiative of ruling
Fidesz deputy Mate Kocsis.

Mesterhazy said he disagreed with this decision, saying a national
security investigation into the transfer would be appropriate.

Safarov, sentenced to life imprisonment for killing an Armenian in
Budapest in 2004, was transferred from Hungary to Azerbaijan on August
31. On arrival in Baku, he was pardoned by the president and released.

Armenia suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary later that day.

WITNESS OF MURDER NOT QUESTIONED

04:21 pm | Today | Social

In Armenia the review of the case of a person sentenced to life in
prison depends on the will of only one man. This man is Serzh Sargsyan.

“All the cases have been placed under a taboo,” said Vahagn Manukyan,
lawyer of the convict Mher Yenokyan sentenced to life in prison.

The defense lawyer came to this conclusion after the prosecutors
refused to investigate new evidence in the case. The evidence proves
the innocence of the convict.

According to the lawyer, he submitted an 18-page application with
various facts and documents to the Office of Prosecutor General.

However, the refusal was a one-page answer without any substantiation.

Let us remind that in 1996, the 20-year-old student of the Medical
Academy Mher Yenokyan was sentenced to death, but in 2003 his death
sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. He is charged with killing
a course mate.

Lawyer Vahagn Manukyan today reminded once again that his client has
stated for 17 years that he did not commit the murder.

Armine Harutyunyan, the sister of Aram Harutyunyan who was convicted
in connection with that case but is now at large, was an eyewitness of
the murder. However, neither investigators nor judges questioned her.

In the lawyer’s opinion, it is a serious negligence: the witness of
the murder must be questioned.

By the way, Mher Yenokyan will appeal to the European Court of Human
Right against the 2003 decree of Robert Kocharyan, by which his death
sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.

WESTERN POWERS APPROVE OF POLITICALLY MOTIVATED TERROR ACTS – RUSSIAN FM

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 12, 2012 – 13:41 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Western powers tend to approve of politically
motivated terror acts when the latters are of benefit to them,
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters, commenting
on the refusal of some UN Security Council’s permanent members to
publicly denounce terrorist attacks in Syria and Iraq.

“The West doesn’t condemn terror acts when these are politically
beneficial in their eyes,” Mr. Lavrov said, adding he would be glad
if Russia’s western partners cleared this suspicion, The Voice of
Russia reported.

ARMENIA’S STATE ACADEMIC CHOIR PERFORMS IN MOSCOW AFTER 10-YEAR PAUSE

tert.am
13:50 ~U 12.09.12

Armenia’s state academic choir (art director, chief conductor Hovhannes
Chekijyan) has performed in Moscow after 10-year pause, Russian TV
channel reports.

The concert took place in the big concert hall of Moscow
Conservatoire. The choir was accompanied by Moscow Symphonic orchestra.

The TV channel reported that the Armenian choir became famous with
its performances of Komitas works and spiritual music.

In Moscow though it performed the works of Schubert, Beethoven, Verdi.

MORE REVELATIONS BY CONTROL CHAMBER: SOCIAL SPHERE AGAIN TARGET OF “MOST SHAMELESS ABUSE”
By Gayane Abrahamyan

ArmeniaNow
12.09.12 | 12:07

Armenia’s Control Chamber’s annual report for 2011 has once again
revealed that more than $4 million of the country’s around $2.5-billion
scarce state budget has been pocketed by some officials.

The audits of a number of government structures this year have shown
that again “the most shameless misuse” of money was the case in the
social sphere.

“This sphere is the most vulnerable, and imagine that the insolence
has reached an extent, when a person born in 1955 receives a war
veteran’s pension for participation in the Great Patriotic War
[1941-1945],” Ishkhan Zakaryan, chairman of the Control Chamber,
said presenting the report at the National Assembly.

Pensions have received also deceased pensioners, and the lists of
poverty beneficiaries include also representatives of middle class
involved in private businesses.

Last year more than 150 million drams (around $365,000) was misused
out of the money allotted to social benefits – 30 percent of the state
budget. Despite the fact that the “insolence” has decreased as compared
to the year before (it was revealed that in 2010 some 58,000 deceased
pensioners were receiving pensions and benefits), it is still ongoing.

When at the parliament Zakaryan, sphere by sphere, presented the
embezzlements, NA speaker Hovik Abrahamyan burst out with anger:

“How much longer this has to continue? Every year we report
shortcomings and violations, as well as punitive measures for those
at fault, but the end is nowhere to be seen. There are numerous
violations in all the spheres.”

The speaker’s outburst raised a legitimate angry response from
oppositional law-makers, who called the whole process a “theatrical
performance”.

“If they are so concerned that it “should be punished”, why in a
year’s time they did not detain the biggest violator and embezzler?”

Heritage faction leader Ruben Hakobyan told ArmeniaNow.

The most scandalous case over the past few years has been when the
Chamber audits revealed around $4 million’s worth misappropriation
at the State Service of Social Affairs when it was headed by Vazgen
Khachikyan, who, however, has not been arrested until today.

On Tuesday, when explaining why Khachikyan is not in custody, Zakaryan
said “the investigation is in process, we’ll have to wait and see”.

Although Khachikyan was dismissed from his position last year,
he’s been actively involved in politics, supporting Akhtala mayor
(who happens to be his brother) to get re-elected. Some sources claim
that he has also purchased several mines and from public activities
has switched to running private businesses.

Many have concerns that such impunity not only generates more
misfeasance, but also questions Control Chamber’s integrity and
transparency.

Oppositional Armenian National Congress faction MP, former military
prosecutor Gagik Jhangiryan is convinced that the Control Chamber’s
“audits are either often ignored” or low-ranking officials become
scapegoats and get criminally prosecuted “to create the appearance
of struggle against corruption and embezzlement in our country”.

ARMENIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN NOT IN ATTENDANCE AT DINNER HONORING CHESS CHAMPIONS – NEWSPAPER

news.am
September 12, 2012 | 06:50

YEREVAN. – Solely Stepan Margaryan attended from the Prosperous
Armenia Party (PAP) to Monday’s award ceremony at the Presidential
Palace and the dinner which President Serzh Sargsyan offered in honor
of the World Chess Olympiad’s Armenian champions, in the case when
invitations were sent to the National Assembly (NA) faction leaders
and NA standing committee chairpersons, Hraparak daily reports.

“On the same day, when it was already apparent that our Olympians
are returning to Armenia and it is the start of the fall session of
the fifth-convocation [NA], [PAP leader, Armenian National Olympic
Committee] ANOC Chairman, NA MP Gagik Tsarukyan sat on a plane and
headed abroad for a private visit.

To note, this politician, who left on ‘private’ or some other
‘reason,’ also had not attended last year’s military parade devoted
to 20th anniversary of Armenia’s independence [on September 21],”
Hraparak writes.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL AFFIRME QUE BAKOU ENVOIE UN MESSAGE DANGEREUX EN AMNISTIANT RAMIL SAFAROV
Stephane

armenews.com
mardi 11 septembre 2012

En pardonnant et en promouvant Ramil Safarov, le president Aliyev a
signale aux Azerbaïdjanais que la violence contre les Armeniens est
non seulement acceptable, mais recompensee.

Amnesty International a publie la declaration suivante le 6 septembre.

Amnesty International craint que les actions du gouvernement de
l’Azerbaïdjan après l’extradition du lieutenant Safarov Ramil soit
percu comme une approbation de la violence a motivation ethnique.

L’organisation craint que ces mesures ne puissent qu’enflammer
les tensions existantes entre les Azerbaïdjanais et les Armeniens
et encourager de nouvelles violences a motivation ethnique. Elle a
appele les gouvernements des deux pays a condamner publiquement la
violence fondee sur l’appartenance ethnique.

En pardonnant et en promouvant Ramil Safarov, le president Aliyev a
signale aux Azerbaïdjanais que la violence contre les Armeniens est
non seulement acceptable, mais recompensee.

Le gouvernement azerbaïdjanais devrait annuler tous les privilèges
accordes a Safarov et condamner publiquement la violence ethnique. Le
gouvernement armenien doit aussi indiquer clairement que les
represailles contre les Azerbaïdjanais n’est pas acceptable.

FOREIGN MINISTER OF LUXEMBOURG: ACTIONS OF A MAN WHO COMMITS A MURDER WITH AN AXE CANNOT BE QUALIFIED AS HEROISM

arminfo
Tuesday, September 11, 18:31

The European Union is concerned with the latest developments in the
region; the actions of a man who has committed a murder with an axe
cannot be qualified as heroism, Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister
of Luxembourg Jean Asselborn said at today’s joint press conference
with Armenian Foreign Minister Edward Nalbandian in Yerevan, when
commenting on Azeri officer Ramil Safarov’s extradition and pardoning.

He added that he is going to address a message to the Hungarian
Foreign Minister and express his concern over this fact. Asselborn
pointed out that during a meeting in Cyprus the Hungarian FM said
that Hungary by no means meant to hurt Armenia, and these words,
Asselborn thinks, were sincere.

To recall, on Aug 31 the Azeri officer sentenced by a Hungarian court
to life in jail for killing sleeping Armenian officer Gourgen Margaryan
with an axe in Budapest in 2004, was extradited to Azerbaijan. The
same day Azeri President Ilham Aliyev decreed to pardon the criminal
and promote him in the rank. For this reason, Armenia suspended the
diplomatic relations with Hungary.

HUNGARY AWARE OF BACKLASH BEFORE SAFAROV RELEASE

asbarez
Tuesday, September 11th, 2012

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban

BUDAPEST (Reuters)-Hungary knew its decision to hand convicted killer
Ramil Safarov over to his native Azerbaijan would spark a diplomatic
backlash from Armenia, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said
on Tuesday.

Budapest released Safarov, a soldier, to Azerbaijan last month where
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev pardoned him on arrival. Safarov had
served eight years of a life sentence for killing an Armenian officer
during a NATO-sponsored training session in Hungary in 2004.

Armenia immediately broke diplomatic ties with Hungary and said that
releasing Safarov, who was given a hero’s welcome on his return,
was a “grave mistake”.

Orban was asked at a news conference about a report by news portal
origo.hu, which said the prime minister had taken the decision despite
being warned about the risks of such a move.

“There was coordination within the entire government about this,”
Orban said. “Each ministry presented its opinion, the justice ministry
about the legal side and the foreign ministry about the diplomatic
consequences.”

Orban said he had then announced the decision personally in line with
general procedure.

“The foreign ministry had forecast precisely what types of consequences
this or the other decision may have. Nothing happened after our
decision that we would not have reckoned with in advance,” he added.

Hungary has said its actions were consistent with international law
and that Azerbaijan had promised to uphold Safarov’s sentence.

While the two countries were in talks about developing closer economic
ties, these were in no way linked to the release of the soldier,
the Hungarian government has said.

Yet despite these calculations, the Hungarian Foreign Minister Hungary
warned Armenia on Monday to restore diplomatic relations or face
“serious ramifications.”

In a letter to his Armenian counterpart Edward Nalbandian revealed by
Hungarian media on Monday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi
again defended his government’s decision to extradite Ramil Safarov to
Azerbaijan more than eight years after the brutal murder of Lieutenant
Gurgen Markarian in Budapest. He said the extradition stemmed from a
European convention and was not aimed at offending the Armenian people.

The Hungarian government also claims that it had received formal
assurances from Azerbaijan that Safarov will serve the rest of a life
sentence given to him by a Hungarian court in an Azerbaijani prison.

Armenian leaders have brushed aside such statements, saying that
Budapest was well aware that Safarov will be set free if sent back
home. They also say that Hungarian officials had repeatedly assured
Yerevan, including in the days leading up to the extradition, that
the Azerbaijani army officer will not be repatriated.

“The Armenian people will not forgive that,” President Serzh Sarkisian
said as he suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary on August 31
just hours after Safarov returned to Baku to a hero’s welcome.

In his letter that was first reported by the Hungarian MTI news agency,
Martonyi expressed regret at the dramatic move, citing “Christian
values connecting the two peoples for a thousand years.”

The Hungarian minister also warned, “Suspending diplomatic relations
could have serious ramifications that would not serve the interests
of Armenia.” He apparently did not elaborate.

Fear of War The Safarov release and subsequent pardon have thrown a
monkey wrench in the already contentious peace talks. Some fear that
this could escalate tensions to a point of war.

Diplomats and analysts say that if another war breaks out, it is
likely to end in stalemate, according to Reuters.

“The Azeris can’t retake Karabakh now. They are militarily incapable
of doing it. I don’t think they could dislodge the Armenian forces
from the high ground. I think that’s extremely difficult.”

Yusif Agayev, an Azeri military expert and veteran of the war, said
there was no mood for a protracted fight.

“I think it would be a month or two, that is the amount of time our
armed forces could fight for. If it drags on longer then it will become
a war that society will have to participate in, not just the army,”
he said. “I don’t think the society of my country is ready for war.”