Author: Badalian Vardan

ARMENIA SUSPENDS RELATIONS WITH HUNGARY

armradio.am
31.08.2012 20:35

Armenia suspended all relations and official contacts with Hungary
Friday in the aftermath of that country’s decision to covertly
extradite an Azeri office who brutally murdered Armenian Officer
Gurgen Margaryan in 2004 during a joint NATO military retreat.

President Serzh Sargsyan made the statement during a emergency
consultations with the Heads of diplomatic missions of the UN member
States and Heads of the offices of the international organizations
accredited in Armenia.

Below is the text of President Serzh Sargsyan’s speech at the meeting:
“Distinguished Ambassadors,

Unfortunately today we invited you to the President’s Office on
an extraordinary occasion. As you should know, an officer of the
Azeri military who had killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan,
was transferred to Azerbaijan. The President of Azerbaijan – and we
have been warning about it – has immediately granted pardon to him.

This has happened because the Government of Hungary, a member State
of the European Union and NATO, has made a deal with the authorities
of Azerbaijan.

I do not want to revisit the circumstances of the murder of Gurgen
Margaryan; you are very well aware of them. As the trial had
demonstrated, the horrendous manslaughter took place only because
Gurgen Margaryan was an Armenian.

Immediately after this crime had been perpetrated the Hungarian
authorities as well as our partners – EU and NATO member States, were
continually urging us to refrain from politicizing that process. We
were continually urged to trust the judiciary of Hungary, a member
State to those important alliances.

We have been closely following all the developments around that
criminal. This issue has been discussed during each and every meeting
with the President, Speaker of the Parliament, Foreign Minister and
Ambassador of Hungary, and we have been assured on numerous occasions
that such a transfer or a return of a criminal to Azerbaijan was
excluded. We have received that same response to our requests
during our contacts just a few days ago with the representatives
of the Hungarian Foreign Ministry and Parliament. But as a result
of perfidious developments the murderer has turned up in Baku and
got released.”

AZERBAIJAN HAD ASSURED THE HUNGARIAN MINISTRY OF JUSTICE THAT SAFAROV’S SENTENCE WOULD NOT BE CONVERTED BUT WOULD CONTINUED TO BE ENFORCED

armradio.am
31.08.2012 18:08

The Ministry of Public Administration and Justice of Hungary issued
comments on the transfer of Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan. “Ramil
Sahib Safarov, an Azerbaijani national imprisoned in Hungary since 19
February 2004, sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Gurgen
Margaryan, an Armenian national, has requested – pursuant to the
1983 Strasbourg Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons – his
transfer to Azerbaijan in order to serve his sentence in Azerbaijan,”
the Ministry said in a statement, reminding that both Azerbaijan and
Hungary are parties to the Convention, which was promulgated by Act
No. of 1994 by the Hungarian Parliament.

Under the Convention, a person sentenced in the territory of a Party
may be transferred to the territory of another Party, in accordance
with the provisions of the Convention, in order to serve the sentence
imposed on him. To that end, such a person may express his interest
to the sentencing State or to the administering State in being
transferred under the Convention. The competent authorities of the
administering State shall continue the enforcement of the sentence or
convert the sentence, through a judicial or administrative procedure,
into a decision of that State. In case of continued enforcement the
administering State shall be bound by the legal nature and duration
of the sentence as determined by the sentencing State.

“According to the information provided by the Ministry of Justice of
Azerbaijan, under the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan the act for which
the sentence was imposed constitutes a criminal offence that may be
punished by life imprisonment. Persons sentenced to life imprisonment
may, at the earliest, be conditionally released after serving a period
of twenty-five years,” the statement reads.

“The Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan has further informed the
Ministry of Public Administration and Justice of Hungary that Ramil
Sahib Safarov’s sentence will not be converted but will immediately
be continued to be enforced, according to the Hungarian judgment,”
the Hungarian Ministry said in its comments.

L’ARMENIE SUSPEND SES RELATIONS DIPLOMATIQUES AVEC LA HONGRIE

Ramil Safarov (Archives)

AFP/ ATTILA KISBENEDEK21:04 31/08/2012EREVAN, 31 août – RIA Novosti

L’Armenie suspend ses relations diplomatiques avec la Hongrie,
a annonce vendredi le president armenien Serge Sargsian lors d’une
rencontre convoquee d’urgence avec les diplomates etrangers en poste
a Erevan.

“Je declare officiellement que nous suspendons aujourd’hui nos
relations diplomatiques et tous nos liens officiels avec la Hongrie”,
a declare le chef de l’Etat armenien cite par l’agence News-Armenia.

Les relations entre les deux pays se sont aggravees suite a la decision
de Budapest de rapatrier vers Bakou un officier azerbaïdjanais
condamne a perpetuite par la justice hongroise pour avoir tue un
ressortissant armenien.

Le 20 fevrier 2004, le lieutenant de l’armee armenienne Gurguen
Margarian, envoye a Budapest suivre des cours d’anglais dans la cadre
du programme l’OTAN “Partenariat au nom de la paix”, a ete tue a coups
de hache par l’officier azerbaïdjanais Ramil Safarov, elève des memes
cours. Le 13 avril 2006, un tribunal de Budapest a condamne ce dernier
a perpetuite. Or vendredi, l’interesse a regagne l’Azerbaïdjan où il
a ete immediatement gracie par le president Ilham Aliev.

Les medias armeniens ont annonce jeudi, citant la presse hongroise, que
l’Azerbaïdjan envisageait d’acquerir des obligations gouvernementales
hongroises pour un montant de deux a trois milliards d’euros. Selon
les experts armeniens, Bakou a utilise cette transaction pour reclamer
le rapatriement de Safarov, indique News-Armenia.

“Nous devons necessairement reagir a cette demarche, car il s’agit
d’un meurtre ethnique dont l’auteur a ete disculpe par un pays membre
de l’Union europeenne. C’est un très mauvais signe”, a conclu le
president armenien.

SPEAKER OF THE ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT CANCELLS HIS VISIT TO HUNGARY

ARMENPRESS
31 August, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, 31 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS: Speaker of the Armenian National
Assembly Hovik Abrahamyan cancelled his visit to Hungary and
turn down the invitation of his Hungarian counterpart to pay an
official visit to Bucharest late September. The press office of the
Parliament calls the reason for the cancellation the recent decision
of Hungarian government to extradite Ramil Safarov. On February 19 of
2004 in Budapest Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov slayed with an ax
Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan when the latter was sleeping. The
two officers were taking part in English language courses in framework
of NATO program in Budapest. Hungarian court sentenced Ramil Safarov
to life imprisonment, without a right to be pardoned during the first
30 years in jail. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev pardoned Ramil
Safarov, an assassin who murdered Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan
when participating at NATO course in Budapest. The press service of
Azerbaijani President released the text of Aliyev’s decree signed on
August 31 which is mentioned that it comes into force immediately.

Earlier Azerbaijani media, calling anonymous sources had mentioned
that Ramil Safarov had been subjected to extradition and already was
in Azerbaijan.

AZERBAIJAN ENCOURAGES FASCISM AND HATRED AGAINST ARMENIANS

tert.am
31.08.12

The extradition of murderer of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan Ramil
Safarov causes at least bewilderment while his pardoning by Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev testifies that Azerbaijan encourages hatred
against Armenians and fascism, deputy speaker of Armenian parliament
Eduard Sharmazanov told Tert.am.

“The step of Hungarian authorities causes bewilderment and raises
anger as it was clear what Azerbaijan will do with him,” he said.

“I think this striking step by Azerbaijan should not remain without
response and should be condemned by the international community,”
he stressed.

Speaking about Armenia’s practical steps, the deputy parliament
speaker said Armenia will continue its initiatives in international
organizations.

“We will continue our policy and show that unlike democratic Karabakh
and Armenia, Azerbaijan is encouraging criminals and carries out
fascism policy,” he said.

“I think it is clear for all what ways Azerbaijan is using to reach
its aim. The one is through propagating lies, the other low-quality
oil policy. Azerbaijan has no other wealth,” Sharmazanov said.

HUNGARIAN SCIENTIST FEELS ASHAMED

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 17:31:17 – 31/08/2012

Hungarian Armenologist Benedek Zsigmond who regularly visits Armenia
posted on his wall his opinion on Hungary’s decision to extradite
Ramil Safarov, the murderer of the Armenian military officer Gurgen
Margaryan. He wrote that he is ashamed of his Hungarian origin. He
apologized to all the Armenians on the blackest day of Hungary’s
modern history.

PRESS RELEASE
Office of Assemblymember Portantino
CONTACT: Wendy Gordon
626.720.3409 mobile
626.577.9944 office
626 577-9944/626 720-3409

August 31, 2012

Assemblymember Portantino Condemns Recent anti-Armenian Actions

“Ordinarily I would not comment on a local land use issue in my
district, but I was quite concerned by comments made by members of the
Turkish Government denying the history surrounding the Armenian
Genocide. There is nothing vague or unclear about the Genocide:
innocent Armenians were slaughtered in what historians have clearly
and justifiably proclaimed was the first Genocide of the 20th Century.
Our prayers and thoughts should always be with the surviving family
members, not in opposing a proposed Genocide Memorial in Pasadena in
order to deny and obscure the facts that caused the deaths of 1.5
million Armenians.

In addition, I am concerned about rising international anti-Armenian
sentiments. I am particularly alarmed about press reports of Hungary’s
extradition and release of Ramil Safarov, who was convicted in Hungary
for the death of an Armenian Lieutenant on a NATO training mission.
To hear that this man is now free in Azerbaijan is an insult to
international justice and a significant and alarming concern to the
proud Armenian American families living in my district”

Assemblymember Anthony J. Portantino (D- La Cañada Flintridge)

IRANIAN MASS MEDIA: AZERBAIJAN PROVIDES FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO SYRIAN REBELS

arminfo
Thursday, August 30, 14:47

At Ankara’s request Azerbaijan has allocated 500 thsd EUR for Syrian
rebels, the Iranian news agencies report with reference to Turkish
sources.

The Turkish authorities encouraged Baku to take this step in response
to “the supposed decision of Armenia to settle the Syrian Armenians
in Nagorno-Karabakh”. Azerbaijan has agreed to finance the Syrian
opposition on a confidential basis, and the funds were handed to the
Syrians via Ankara.

To note, the recent publications in the Azerbaijani press blame
Armenia for “settling Nagorno- Karabakh” with Syrian Armenians.

TURKISH HACKERS THREATEN TO BREAK INTO ARMENIAN STATE AGENCY WEBSITES

news.am
August 30, 2012 | 16:28

The Turkish hacker group named Ayyıldız (Moonstar), which had
attacked FC Spartak Moscow’s official website–after Yerkramas
newspaper of the Russian Armenians had ran an article entitled
“Spartak fans will wave Armenia’s and Artsakh’s [Nagorno-Karabakh
Republic] flags in Istanbul”–had threatened to break into Armenian
state agency websites, too.

The group had stated that it was decided to attack the websites of
Armenia’s General Staff of the Armed Forces and the country’s other
state agencies, if Spartak fans carry out provocations in the match
to be played in Istanbul between Fenerbahce S.K. of Istanbul and FC
Spartak Moscow, Yenisafak daily of Turkey reports.

The UEFA Champions League qualifications second-leg match between
the two clubs was played Wednesday under very tight security and no
serious incidents were recorded.

As NEWS.am Sport informed earlier, Turkish hackers broke into FC
Spartak Moscow’s official website, on the evening of August 22, and
the website is down ever since. The hackers attacked the website on
Monday, too.

The portrait of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk–founder of the Rep. of
Turkey–appeared on the website’s homepage on August 22, and with the
following inscription: “Immediately apologize to the Turkish nation!

FIFA [International Federation of Association Football] did not heed
this fact, but we will not leave this crime unpunished.”

To note, during the UEFA Champions League qualifications first-leg
match played on August 21 in Moscow, and between FC Spartak Moscow
and Fenerbahce S.K. of Istanbul, Turkey–which ended by a score of
2-1 in favor of the host club–the Spartak fans in the stands had
burned posters with the portrait of Ataturk.

Also, it became apparent that the Russian fans had attacked the
Turkish football fans in the Russian capital, even before the match.

Close to twenty Spartak fans had attacked twelve Fenerbahce fans in
a downtown Moscow bar.

TURKISH STATE BACKS DESTRUCTION OF ARMENIAN CHURCH

news.am
August 30, 2012 | 14:04

YEREVAN. – Vardzk magazine’s each issue includes topics which were
never before covered, stated Samvel Karapetyan, chairman of the
foundation studying Armenian architecture, during a press conference
on Thursday.

In his words, an article in the magazine is devoted to the
seventh-century Armenian Church of Mren, which is located in Turkey,
very near the border with Armenia and in the vicinity of Akhuryan
River.

“The Church’s entire southern facade had collapsed ever since 2006.

The Mren shrine cannot be visited because there is a military post
[there], so no one may visit.

In the meantime, holes were dug in the church, and it is apparent
that either treasure hunters or some people have worked there for
a long time. And it turns out that they have turned a blind eye to
those who destroy the shrine.

This shows that the destruction of the shrine of Mren is sponsored
by the [Turkish] state. The government of Turkey advertises to the
world with great fanfare that it restored the [Armenian] Akhtamar
Monastery [on Lake Van], yet it destroys the Mren Monastery,” Samvel
Karapetyan remarked.