Author: Babajanian Karo

LA LETTRE DU MINISTERE DE LA JUSTICE AZERIE A LA HONGRIE
Jean Eckian

armenews.com
mardi 11 septembre 2012

Le Ministère de la Justice de la Republique d’Azerbaïdjan presente
ses compliments au Ministère de l’Administration Publique et de la
Justice de Hongrie et a l’honneur de l’informer de ce qui suit :

En reponse a votre demande concernant Ramil Sahib Safarov, qui
effectue sa peine en Hongrie, nous vous informons que l’execution
des decisions des tribunaux des etats etrangers, relativement au
transfert de personnes condamnees pour effectuer le reste de leur
peine en Republique d’Azerbaïdjan, est soumise aux dispositions du
point a) du paragraphe 1 de l’article 9 de la Convention Europeenne
sans aucun amenagement et sans qu’il soit possible d’ouvrir aucune
nouvelle procedure judiciaire.

Nous vous prions egalement de noter qu’en application des dispositions
de l’article 57.3 du Code Penal de la Republique d’Azerbaïdjan, la
peine d’un detenu condamne a perpetuite ne peut etre commuee par un
tribunal en une peine d’emprisonnement pour une certaine duree ou ne
peut etre mis en liberte conditionnelle, avant qu’il n’ait effectue
au moins vingt cinq annees de sa peine.

Le Ministère de la Justice de l’Azerbaïdjan profite de la presente
occasion pour exprimer l’assurance de sa plus haute consideration au
Ministère de l’Administration Publique et de la Justice de Hongrie
et le remercie a l’avance pour sa cooperation.

Vilayat Zahirov

Ministre Adjoint de la Justice Republique d’Azerbaïdjan

Traduction Gilbert Beguian pour Armenews

A noter que c’est effectivement a la date du 6 août que l’Armenie
avait ete alertee par la communaute armenienne de Budapest de ce qui
se tramait dans les coulisses du pouvoir hongrois.

le 28 août, le MAE de Hongrie, Janos Martonyi, avait admis qu’il
y avait eu un “deal financier avec l’Azerbaïdjan. Puis, avant de
se rendre en Suisse le 5 septembre, il tentera de convaincre que
l’extradition de l’officier Safarov “n’avait rien a faire avec des
finances.”

Le 7 Septembre, se referant a la reunion des ministres des Affaires
etrangères, le ministère allemand des Affaires etrangères a publie la
declaration suivante : ” Le gouvernement de l’Azerbaïdjan a assure la
partie hongroise avant le transfert que le detenu purgera le restant
sa peine en Azerbaïdjan. Le gouvernement federal ne doute pas de la
declaration du gouvernement hongrois lors du Conseil permanent de
l’OSCE a Vienne le 6 Septembre 2012″.

7 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS EXPRESSED DEEP CONCERNS OVER THE WORSENING CONDITION OF AZERI MEDIA

Azerireport

BAKU. September 8, 2012: Seven international organizations unitied
in the International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan (IPGA) –
ARTICLE 19, Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom House, Index on
Censorship, Media Diversity Institute, Norwegian Helsinki Committee,
and the Reporters Without Borders – issued a statement expressing
their deep concern with the deteriorating situation of the media in
Azerbaijan. Below is the full text of the statement:

The International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan (IPGA), coordinated
by ARTICLE 19, is deeply concerned by the deteriorating freedom
of expression situation in Azerbaijan. Of specific concern is the
threat of imminent closure for one of the most popular newspapers
in the country, Azadliq. In addition, in recent weeks, another
journalist was imprisoned on politically motivated charges, concerns
surfaced regarding detention conditions for two other journalists,
and a critical journalist who was previously attacked continued
to experience harassment. Further, recent monitoring of Baku’s
newsstands showed that independent and opposition newspapers face
growing distribution problems.

Threat of closure for Azadliq newspaper

Acting editor-in-chief of opposition Azadliq newspaper Rahim Hajiyev
has reported that the newspaper faces imminent closure after receiving
notice from the state-owned printing house that Azadliq must vacate
its offices on the premises and would no longer be printed if Azadliq
did not pay its debt of 25,000 AZN (approximately 20,000 GBP) by
3 September 2012. The paper was later given an extension until 10
September 2012. Azadliq’s debt to the printing house is for printing
and utility costs, which the newspaper claims it cannot pay in part
due to the inability of the GASID distribution company to pay its
larger debt to Azadliq. Azadliq is one of the highest circulation
newspapers and among the most critical media outlets in the country.

It has faced severe difficulties in recent years due to state control
of the advertising market and printing and distribution facilities,
and hefty fines imposed as the result of numerous defamation cases.

Many of its editors and reporters have been subjected to imprisonment
or violent attacks.

Persecution of critical journalists

On 23 August 2012, freelance journalist Faramaz Novruzoglu joined
the ranks of Azerbaijan’s imprisoned journalists after a Baku court
sentenced him to four and a half years in prison on charges of illegal
border crossing and inciting public disorder. Novruzoglu believes the
charges are connected with a series of articles he published exposing
government corruption. He has previously served prison sentences in
2009 and 2007 in connection with his journalistic activities.

On 29 August 2012, a Baku court dismissed a case brought by Tolishi
Sedo newspaper editor-in-chief Hilal Mammadov against the prison
administration alleging that he was treated inhumanely in detention.

Mammadov has been in detention since June 2012 and faces life in
prison on charges of high treason and inciting hatred.

Khural newspaper editor-in-chief Avaz Zeynalli has recently reported
a number of serious health problems which have worsened in detention,
including kidney stones, radiculitis and chronic rhinitis. Zeynalli
has been detained since October 2011, facing up to 12 years in prison
on charges of extortion and failure to implement a court decision,
based on a Member of Parliament’s claims that Zeynalli attempted to
blackmail her.

Journalist Idrak Abbasov reported continued acts of harassment
against him and his family, as unknown assailants have attempted to
break into his car outside his home three times over the past few
weeks, most recently on 28 August 2012. Abbasov, a correspondent of
the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and Ayna and
Zerkalo newspapers, was severely beaten to the point of hospitalisation
in April 2012 by a group of State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR)
employees whilst filming their demolition of houses in his village. So
far no one has been prosecuted for the attack.

Independent and opposition newspapers face growing distribution
problems

Monitoring undertaken by a group of media workers and IRFS
representatives on 1 September 2012 showed that many of Baku’s
newsstands do not carry newspapers or carry an insufficient quantity
to meet demand. Some of the vendors interviewed reported that
they received instructions stemming from an alleged order by an
employee of the Baku Mayor’s office to boycott the company GASID,
which distributes independent and opposition newspapers such as Ayna,
Zerkalo, Yeni Musavat and Azadliq. More than half of GASID’s newsstands
in Baku have been shut down over the past year as new kiosks selling
sundries but not newspapers have been installed in their place,
with support from the Baku Mayor’s office.

The IPGA calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to take immediate steps
to improve this alarming situation and to fulfill their international
obligations to respect and protect the right to freedom of expression,
including:

~U Immediately cease proceedings to evict Azadliq newspaper from its
offices in the state-owned printing house and allow the newspaper to
continue to print whilst an agreement regarding the newspaper’s debt
is reached;

~U Immediately and unconditionally release Hilal Mamamdov, Faramaz
Novruzoglu, Avaz Zeynalli, and all other journalists currently
detained or imprisoned in connection with exercising their right
to free expression, and cease arresting persons for politically
motivated reasons;

~U Take immediate steps to improve detention conditions for Hilal
Mammadov and Avaz Zeynalli, including promptly and impartially
investigating reports of inhumane treatment of Mammadov and ensuring
that Zeynalli receives immediate medical attention;

~U Redouble efforts to investigate the attack against Idrak Abbasov
and bring the perpetrators to justice, and investigate recent acts of
harassment against him and put a stop to this continued pressure; and

~U Cease support for a boycott of the GASID distribution company and
create fair distribution conditions for all newspapers.

The following IPGA member organisations support this statement:
~U ARTICLE 19 ~U Committee to Protect Journalists ~U Freedom House
~U Index on Censorship ~U Media Diversity Institute ~U Norwegian
Helsinki Committee ~U Reporters Without Borders (Azerireport).

Agenzia di Stampa Asca
6 settembre 2012

Armenia: Onu chiede ad Azerbaijan di rispettare diritto internazionale

(ASCA-AFP) – New York, 6 set – L’Onu chiede all’Azerbaijan di
rispettare il diritto internazionale, dopo la decisione di Baku
concedere la grazia a un suo militare, Ramil Safarov, estradato
dall’Ungheria, dopo essere stato condannato per l’uccisione di un
collega armeno nel 2004.

Le Nazioni Unite, ha detto il portavoce dell’Onu, Martin Nesirky,
hanno chiesto all’Azerbaigian di rispettare ”le norme internazionali
e i principi dello Stato di diritto. Il segretario generale e’
preoccupato per gli sviluppi che circondano il caso del signor Safarov
dal suo trasferimento il 31 agosto in Azerbaigian e il successivo
perdono da parte delle autorita’ azere”.

”L’Onu – ha aggiunto il portavoce – sottolinea la responsabilita’
degli Stati membri a rispettare gli standard internazionali e i
principi dello stato di diritto in materia penale, al fine di
garantire la responsabilita’ e la lotta all’impunita”’.

Russia’s Putin offers new Europe – Far East transit route

September 9, 2012 – 14:31 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Russia wants to become a new global transit route
connecting Europe and the countries of the Far East, Russian President
Vladimir Putin said on Sunday, Sept 9.

The country’s transportation network, including the Transsiberian
railroads and the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic, offer unique
opportunities for transit of goods across the globe, Putin said at the
APEC summit in the seaport of Vladivostok.

The APEC countries support Russia’s efforts to improve its Siberian
transportation routes, increasing cargo traffic, Putin said.

Although the Siberian railroads and the Arctic sea route could
significantly speed up cargo shipping, they lack the infrastructure,
including ports on the Arctic coast.

Inefficient customs are also a constraint, and the Baikal-Amur
Mainline railroad needs an expansion priced at around 730 billion
rubles ($23 billion), or more than the cost of the APEC summit in
Vladivostok, which included construction of some 50 infrastructure
objects across the region, RIA Novosti reported.

Letter of complaint to Hungary’s MFA from Armenians in Belgium

2012-09-09 09:19:07

The Armenian Cause panel in Belgium informed, that Armenians living in
Belgium held a protest before Hungary’s permanent representation in EU to
express their complaint against Ramil Safarov’s extradition to Azerbaijan.

With the demand of Hungary’s MFA Yanosh Martoni letter of complaint was
handed to Hungary’s representative.
Protestants severely condemned Hungary’s decision of Ramil Safarov’s
extradition to Azeri state agencies. `We expect Hungary to condemn severely
Azerbaijan, putting an end to oil and gas
bloody money deal in front of
justice,’ letter of complaint reads.
Hungary’s representative assured the Armenian Cause representative that the
letter will be handed to Hungary’s MFA and expressed hope that relations
of
Hungary and Armenia will normalize soon.

RFi
4 sept 2012

L’Arménie prête à une nouvelle «guerre» contre l’Azerbaïdjan après la
grce d’un meurtrier

Le ton monte entre l’Arménie et l’Azerbaïdjan, pays qui se disputent
depuis les années 90 le contrôle de l’enclave de Nagorny Karabach.
C’est le président azerbaïdjanais qui a attisé la colère d’Erevan, en
graciant un officier, condamné pourtant à la perpétuité en Hongrie
pour avoir décapité un militaire arménien. Furieux, le président
arménien a averti, lundi 3 septembre, être prêt à refaire la « guerre
» contre l’Azerbaïdjan.

« Nous ne voulons pas la guerre, mais si nous y sommes contraints,
nous nous battrons et nous gagnerons », a déclaré le président
arménien Serge Sarkissian. Il faut dire que son voisin, le président
azerbaïdjanais, a fait fort : l’officier Ramil Safarov était à peine
de retour dans son pays qu’Ilham Aliev l’a gracié. Accueilli en héros,
l’officier azerbaïdjanais qui a assassiné un militaire arménien en
2004, a même été promu au rang de major. Comme si cela ne suffisait
pas, les autorités lui ont offert une maison et le paiement de son
salaire pour les huit années passées dans une prison hongroise.

C’était la provocation de trop pour l’Arménie. Le président Sarkissian
a donc dénoncé l’Azerbaïdjan comme un pays où « l’on glorifie
publiquement n’importe quel btard qui a tué des gens simplement parce
qu’ils sont Arméniens ».

Erevan peut compter sur le soutien de Washington : Le président
américain Barack Obama s’est déclaré « très préoccupé » par la
décision de Bakou. La Hongrie aussi est visiblement gênée par ce
nouveau rebondissement. Budapest a qualifiée d’ « inacceptable » la
grce accordée au soldat Safarov.

Trend, Azerbaijan
Sept 7 2012

PM: Ankara stands for opening up 1915 archives

Azerbaijan, Baku, Sept. 7 / Trend R.Hafizoglu /

Ankara stands for the opening of archives for an investigation of the
1915 events, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said speaking
at an international conference titled ‘Arab Spring and Peace in the
New Middle East: Muslim and Christian Perspectives’ in Istanbul, TRT
Haber TV channel reports.

Turkey as a state, is always ready to accept its history, Erdogan said.

Armenia and the Armenian lobby claim that the predecessor of Turkey,
the Ottoman Empire, had committed the 1915 genocide against Armenians
living in Anatolia and achieved recognition of the “Armenian Genocide”
by the parliaments of several countries.

The Voice of Russia
Sept 8 2012

Russia among leaders at World Chess Olympiad

Russia’s men team has defeated the Argentinean team in the 10th round
of the World Chess Olympiad in Istanbul. Russia’s women defeated the
Armenian team.
Ahead of the final 11th round the leaders among men are the teams of
China, Armenia and Russia with 17 points each.

Russian women come second with 17 points after the team of China,
while Ukrainian women come third.

On Sunday. in the final round the Russian men will meet Germans, while
Russian women are to meet the team of Kazakhstan.

Deutsche Welle, Germany
Sept 8 2012

Tensions simmer after axe murderer’s pardon

Hungary’s recent extradition of a convicted axe murderer to
Azerbaijan has caused a scandal. At home, the killer was pardoned and
celebrated. It’s rumored that Hungary and Azerbaijan brokered a deal
for the extradition.

The last time a diplomatic gesture made by Hungary had geopolitical
consequences was in June 1989, when Hungary’s then-foreign minister,
Gyula Horn, and his Austrian counterpart Alois Mock cut through the
border fence between the two countries. The gesture marked the
beginning of the end of the Iron Curtain between East and West.

Potentially grave consequences

This time around, 23 years on, a diplomatic gesture made by Hungary
could have far less positive – some even say disastrous – geopolitical
implications. Hungary has extradited a convicted murderer to
Azerbaijan, where he was instantly pardoned. This brought tensions
between Armenia and Azerbaijan to a new climax and the Caucasus region
to the verge of a new war.

The US, the EU and NATO have taken crisis diplomacy measures in an
attempt to prevent the worst case scenario between Armenia and
Azerbaijan from emerging.

Meanwhile, Hungary’s government is rumored to have agreed to a foul
deal with Azerbaijan. In return for the extradition of murderer Ramil
Safarov, Azerbaijan is said to have promised Hungary to buy some three
billion euros ($3.84 billion) worth of its government bonds.

The Safarov case

During a NATO-sponsored training session held in Budapest in 2004,
Azeri soldier Ramil Safarov murdered a fellow Armenian course
participant in his sleep with an axe. Safarov said the killing stemmed
from traumatic childhood experiences in which his family was driven
out of Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan. Disputes
over the region have put the two former Soviet republics in a state of
war with each other for almost 25 years now. Due to the intense
brutality of his deed, Safarov was sentenced to life in prison; and
pardoning him would only have been possible after a minimum of 30
years.

Safarov has since been celebrated as a national hero in Azerbaijan,
and Azeri diplomats tried for years to convince the Hungarian
authorities to extradite him. The Orban government finally agreed. On
August 31, Safarov was flown out of Hungary in an Azeri special plane.
Some say that Azerbaijan did make a promise to Hungary at the time
that Safarov would have to continue serving his sentence in prison.
But no sooner had the plane arrived at Baku airport than the
35-year-old was greeted as a hero. He was pardoned and even promoted
to the rank of major by Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.

The move caused Armenia to stop all diplomatic relations instantly
with Hungary, and Armenians abroad took to the streets worldwide in
protest against Hungary.

Fortunes to spend

Azerbaijan, which has accrued significant capital with crude oil, is
said to be planning an investment of up to three billion euros worth
in Hungarian state obligations. Hungary could use the money. The
country is in a dire financial situation and has been in long
negotiations with the International Monetary Fun (IMF) about a
possible stand-by loan – without success so far.

Potential donors in China and Saudi Arabia denied Hungary loans not
long ago. So could the country have turned to Azerbaijan for money?
Both sides are denying that Baku promised to invest billions in
Hungarian bonds in return for Safarov. However, in early August,
Hungarian economic media outlets had already reported on a possible
bond buying deal planned by Azerbaijan. Both countries are also in
talks about intensifying economic cooperation.

Hungary’s leadership has since commented nonchalantly on the potential
disaster stemming from Safarov’s release. Hungary doesn’t “consider
the conflict to be of particular importance,” but rather was taking
notice of it “in calmness and optimism,” said Prime Minister Viktor
Orban on Monday (03.09.2012) in Budapest.

Consternation and criticism

Politicians from the Hungarian opposition and a number of independent
observers are appalled at the government’s conduct. The head of the
Socialist Party (MSZP), Attila Mesterhazy, asked in parliament: For
“just how much money has Viktor Orban sold Hungary?” A commentator of
Hungarian daily “Nepszabadsag” wrote that Hungary hasn’t been left
with much of an international reputation to start with. Now, the
country would be regarded even more suspiciously, the commentator
continued.

While both the US and Russia voiced open criticism of Hungary’s
extradition, the EU in Brussels is holding back official comments of
concern for now. Hungary had signed a bilateral agreement that was
quite obviously broken by Azerbaijan, said a spokesman for the EU’s
foreign policy coordinator, Catherine Ashton, to DW.

It’s likely, though, that there’s behind-the-scenes consternation in
Brussels on Hungary’s course of action, which could have a direct
impact on the overall stability in the Caucasus region. That’s what
most observers in Hungary are concerned about, too. In an essay,
philosopher Gaspar Miklos Tamas criticizes what he calls the “lack of
responsibility and ignorance” demonstrated by Hungarian leaders.

“The fact that the Hungarian state is governed by some aging
adolescents who are aggressive, irresponsible and incapable of finding
their way in matters that concern the world at large is simply
appalling,” he wrote.

,,16227283,00.html

Gulf Times, Qatar
Sept 8 2012

Azerbaijani soldier shot by Armenians dies in hospital

AFP/Baku

An Azerbaijani soldier who was shot by an Armenian sniper in the
ex-Soviet state’s remote Nakhchivan region in July has died in
hospital, the defence ministry in Baku said yesterday. The ministry
said the soldier, whom it named as Rabbi Jafarov, died late Friday.
`He was wounded in the head on July 13 by a sniper shot from the
Armenian side,’ the ministry’s statement said.

Jafarov was the 14th soldier reported to have died this year amid
firefights between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops, who are locked in
a bitter unresolved conflict over the disputed region of Nagorny
Karabakh, where they fought a war in the 1990s. The Armenian defence
ministry has denied shooting the soldier in Nakhchivan, an Azerbaijani
exclave that borders Armenia.
The announcement came amid heightened tensions between the ex-Soviet
foes sparked by Azerbaijan’s pardon of a soldier who axed to death an
Armenian serviceman, which drew criticism from the US, EU, Russia and
Nato.

Ramil Safarov was pardoned, promoted and financially rewarded last
week after being extradited to Azerbaijan from Hungary, where he had
been serving a life sentence for killing the Armenian soldier during a
Nato training session in 2004.