BARTER EUROPEAN CONSCIENCE FOR BAKU’S PETRODOLLARS
Wednesday, 26 September 2012 15:07
After Hungary’s extradition of killer Safarov to Azerbaijan and then
his pardon by President Aliyev, we had the right to expect an adequate
response by the international community to the crying action of the
Azerbaijani authorities. Aliyev did not only despise the basic norms
of human morality. Thus he actually threw a cynical challenge not
only to Armenia, but also to international law and to entire Europe,
with its democratic values, and therefore corresponding retaliatory
steps should be expected. It should be noted that many countries and
international organizations have already issued tough statements,
condemning the actions of the Azerbaijani leadership on releasing
the criminal and making him a hero.
To be frank, the killer’s extradition to Azerbaijan, implemented by an
EU member-state in exchange to Azerbaijan’s credits in 3 billion Euros,
violating the Convention on Extradition of Prisoners, cast a shadow
on the entire system of European justice. That’s why the European
Union had to express its attitude to Azerbaijan’s actions, at least,
for rescuing its own repute. In other words, in the conditions that
the notion of “justice” was strongly discredited by Hungary, the
blemished reputation of Europe had to be rescued. And the resolution
of the European Parliament served as peculiar rescue.
On September 13, the European Parliament adopted a resolution
officially called “Resolution on Azerbaijan: the Case of Ramil
Safarov,” condemning the resolution of the Azerbaijani President
on pardon, considering it as “a gesture, which is aimed at further
escalation of tension between the two countries and which intensifies
the sense of injustice, expanding the gap between the two countries”.
The document expresses concern about the fact that this act jeopardizes
all the processes of conciliation in the societies and can harm the
future peaceful contacts between the region’s citizens. The European
Parliament condemned also the heroic ceremonials towards Safarov in
Azerbaijan and expressed its concern about the recognition he was
honored in the Azerbaijani state, which, as noted in the document,
serves an example for the future generations.
It can be noted with small provisos that this resolution of the
European Parliament profitably differs from the previous documents of
the kind related to the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict. Surely, it is,
first of all, thanks to its “Azerbaijani” addressness and specific
wording. Earlier, as you know, the statements and comments by European
structures and European officials on the Karabakh issue were amorphous
and vague, equally putting the responsibility for the stagnation
in the conflict settlement process and for the tense situation at
the contact-line on the Armenian and Azerbaijani parties. Frankly
speaking, the authors of the current resolution could not either
resist the temptation to keep the notorious parity, noting in one
of the paragraphs of the document that “the discontent, available
in Azerbaijan and Armenia over the lack of any significant progress
in the peace process on Nagorno Karabakh does not justify either the
acts of revenge or the senseless provocations”. Especially that the
initiator of the “senseless provocations” is certainly known. However,
we should emphasize that this resolution gives more objective and
precise evaluation of the Azerbaijani authorities’ actions.
Surely, the European Parliament’s resolution should be welcomed, but
we think it should be continued in the form of resolute measures by
corresponding international structures. Azerbaijan’s actions should
result in corresponding consequences, and first of all, legal. Even
after the broad and angry resonance by the international community, the
behavior of the Azerbaijani leadership has not changed – no repentance,
as expected, was expressed. Moreover, at a recent meeting with the
OSCE Ambassadors, Aliyev unabashedly stated that his decision was
right. That’s why strict international sanctions are required towards
the current Baku regime in order that Azerbaijan cannot be firmly
convinced of the fact that in today’s world one can freely violate
international laws and buy everything, including the conscience of
the Europe states.
In the existing situation, it is simply unacceptable to limit only with
rhetoric and palliative measures, even if condemning. As already noted,
a defiant challenge is thrown to international law, and the response
to it must be adequate. One should speak about the possibility of
Azerbaijan’s further membership in international institutions as a
country, which does not respect international law and does not fulfill
its own commitments. The same resolution of the European Parliament
points to the fact of Azerbaijan’s failure to follow its promises given
in Hungary in connection with Safarov’s extradition. Long before the
Budapest case, official Baku had repeatedly violated its obligations
before the Council of Europe, as well as the agreements achieved in
the Karabakh settlement process under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk
Group and its Russian co-chair.
How can Azerbaijan be a non-permanent member of the UN Security
Council, if this state constantly threatens Armenia and Nagorno
Karabakh and even wider – the regional security and stability? These
questions are not rhetorical at all, and the corresponding
international structures should not only give an objective assessment
of what has happened, but should also take corresponding measures to
make responsible the state, the ideology of which is based on racism
and xenophobia.
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