Author: Kajoyan Gevork

58 DIE AS REFUGEE BOAT SINKS OFF TURKEY COAST

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 6, 2012 – 16:01 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Fifty-eight people died when a refugee boat carrying
over 100 refugees sank off the coast of Ä°zmir, Turkey, according to
Hurriyet Daily News.

Some 43 refugees were rescued, the others remain missing. Those
rescued are reportedly from Iraq and Syria and are of Kurdish origin.

The boat’s passengers, who were allegedly trying to enter European
countries illegally, were mostly women and children. Initial
questioning revealed the refugees to be on their way to Britain.

Gendarmarie forces have detained two Turkish suspects in connection
with the incident amid a continuing investigation.

CZECH POLITICIAN: ALIYEV’S DECISION DANGEROUS MISUSE OF JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS

tert.am
06.09.12

Milan Cabrnoch, A Czech Politician Who Chairs The EU -Armenia,
EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation Committees,
has expressed deep concerns about the Azerbaijani president’s decision
to pardon Ramil Safarov.

His criticizing remarks, submitted to Tert.am, are provided below.

In my capacity as Chairman of the European Parliament Delegation to
the EU-Armenia, EU-Azerbaijan and EU-Georgia Parliamentary Cooperation
Committees, I express my deep concern about the Azerbaijani President’s
decision to pardon Ramil Safarov, who was supposed to serve a life
sentence for brutally murdering Gurgen Margaryan, an Armenian military
officer, in Hungary in 2004.

For a number of years, the Members of our Delegation have redoubled
their efforts in order to contribute to the improvement of relations
between Armenia and Azerbaijan through the parliamentary dialogue and,
most recently, also through the Euronest PA.

Moreover, we have intensified the bilateral contacts with Armenia
and Azerbaijan, by making use of the instruments of parliamentary
diplomacy, in the hope to reduce regional tensions, promote
reconciliation and contribute to finding a viable solution to the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Our Delegation has made it clear to its Armenian and Azerbaijani
counterparts that respect for human rights, the rule of law and
European values should always be at the heart of their European
integration aspirations. In this context, the decision of Mr Aliyev
might be seen as a dangerous misuse of judicial proceedings.

I urge the authorities of Azerbaijan to show their commitment to the
values I mentioned and strongly encourage Azerbaijan and Armenia to
remain engaged in a reconciliation process.

ABA SENDS LETTER TO OBAMA ON SAFAROV EXTRADITION

Armenian Weekly
September 6, 2012

The Armenian Bar Association sent the following letter to President
Barack Obama regarding Ramil Safarov’s extradition and later release
in Azerbaijan.

September 3, 2012

President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Obama:

Greetings to you on behalf of the Armenian Bar Association,
the largest and most diverse group of Armenian-American judges,
lawyers, and students who are bound together by the greatest-and
often elusive-universal interest, namely justice.

Your life and career have been guided by the North Star of our times,
carrying within its glow the promise of enlightenment. These two
principles-enlightenment and justice- form the ligament that holds
civilized men and women and civilized nations together.

The Executive Committee of the Armenian Bar Association shares your
deep concern over Azeri President Ilham Aliyev’s illicit pardon of
Azeri Ramil Safarov, who was convicted in Hungarian courts of axing
to death an innocent Armenian, Gurgen Margaryan. The painful irony of
the crime is that it occurred during a training program in Budapest
under the auspices of NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program.

Whereas communicating to Azerbaijan’s authorities your disappointment
about the decision to pardon Safarov is welcome news to us, we hope
there will be more said and more done by you about the affront to
international law and fundamental notions of, simply, what is right
and what is wrong.

We ask that you follow your own conscience and sense of justice
which have elevated you to the highest office in our land and have
led to the support of millions of Americans, including the support
of countless Armenian-Americans.

Mr. Aliyev’s decision to pardon Safarov is a repudiation of your
and American efforts to bring peace, reduce regional tensions, and
promote reconciliation.

This week, as you accept the nomination of the Democratic Party and, as
anticipated, share with the nation the importance of the rule of law,
and as you remind the world about the United States of America being
the champion of freedom and democracy, we ask that you please take
a moment to reflect on how those declarations can be reconciled with
the current state of friendly relations with the regime in Azerbaijan.

We urge you to let the world see you as the brave leader for whom
justice is above and for all.

Very Truly Yours,

Garo B. Ghazarian Chairman, Board of Governors Armenian Bar Association

Edvin Minassian Chairman, Ex-Officio

Armen K. Hovannisian Vice-Chairman

Harry Dikranian Vice-Chairman

Sara Bedirian Treasurer

Hovanes Margarian Secretary

Vicken I. Simonian Chairman Emeritus

AZERI FOREIGN MINISTRY: ARMENIAN LEADERSHIP TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY PROVOCATION AGAINST AZERBAIJANI CITIZENS

arminfo
Wednesday, September 5, 19:44

The Armenian leadership will be responsible for any provocation
of Armenian terrorists against Azerbaijani citizens or diplomats,
Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev told reporters
on Wednesday.

“ASALA is a worldwide known terrorist organization that has killed
many people. So, Azerbaijan has instructed its diplomatic missions
to appeal to the intelligence services of the host country in the
event of any threat to Azerbaijani diplomats,” Abdullayev said.

According to Trend news agency, Abdullayev referred to a document
reportedly received on Sept 3 by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Hungary
from the ASALA Fighters terrorist organization, which allegedly calls
as a target Azerbaijani diplomats, Azerbaijani students studying
abroad, businessmen, activists of diaspora organizations, and states
that they will be killed.

Ramil Safarov, an Azeri officer sentenced by a Hungarian court to
life in jail for brutally killing an Armenian officer in Budapest
in 2004, was extradited to Azerbaijan on Aug 31 and pardoned by the
Azeri President once back home.

YESAYAN: NKR SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN NEGOTIATIONS

Aysor.am
September 05, 2012

At the special session of the NA where the extradition of Ramil
Safarov, the murderer of Gurgen Margaryan who was killed during the
NATO English courses in 2004 in Budapest, and Azerbaijan’s decision to
pardon the murderer was being discussed the RPA MP Margarit Yesayan
came up to the conclusion that Armenia should demand to involve the
NKR in case Armenia agrees to hold talks in Minsk Group format.

“If they agree to accept that demand the talks will go on,” M. Yesayan
stressed.

BULGARIAN-ARMENIANS TO HOLD PROTEST ON SEPTEMBER 11 OVER SAFAROV PARDON

Panorama.am
05/09/2012

About 50 people from the Armenian community in Bulgaria held a protest
outside the Hungarian embassy in Sofia on September 4 2012 against
Budapest’s decision to transfer to Azerbaijan military officer Ramil
Safarov, convicted of the 2004 murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen
Margaryan, The Sofia Globe reported.

The protestors in Sofia submitted a letter of protest to the Hungarian
embassy, saying that the behaviour of the Hungarian authorities was
disgraceful. The protestors chanted “shame on Hungary”, according
to local media reports. They plan new protests outside the embassy,
most probably on September 11 when a football match between Bulgaria
and Armenia is due.

On his arrival in Baku on August 31, Safarov was pardoned by
Azerbaijan’s president and given a hero’s welcome.

Safarov was given a life sentence in 2006 by the Budapest City Court
after he confessed to hacking to death Margaryan while the Armenian
was sleeping.

The incident happened while both were in Hungary for a 2004 language
course of the Nato military alliance.

Yet, as soon as Safarov arrived at the Baku airport, he received an
official pardon from Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev.

In a short statement, the president said he had decreed that Safarov
“should be freed from the term of his punishment.”

Armenia severed all diplomatic relations with Hungary after the pardon
of Safarov.

PROTEST ACTION IN ARGENTINA LINKED WITH AZERBAIJANI KILLER SAFAROV’S EXTRADITION

arminfo
Wednesday, September 5, 15:20

A mass protest action was held in Argentina linked with Azerbaijani
killer Ramil Safarov’s extradition and pardoning. The action was
organized by the Armenian community of Argentina, ANCA reported.

To note, similar protest actions were also held in the USA, Russia,
Malta, the Great Britain and even in Hungary that has recently
extradited Safarov to Azerbaijan.

THE ADMINISTRATION OF U.S. SOCIAL NETWORK CAFE4TUNE WILL BLOCK ALL CAFE-GROUPS GLORIFYING SAFAROV

arminfo
Wednesday, September 5, 15:52

The administration of U.S. social network Cafe4tune –
– expressed outrage at the extradition and
pardon of Azeri officer Ramil Safarov from Hungary to Azerbaijan,
who came to prominence in connection with the commission of a crime –
the murder of a sleeping Armenian officer in 2004, Regional Office
of Cafe4tune.com reports.

The administration of the social network came to support the treatment
of U.S. State Department in connection with the inhumane and illegal
practices.

In the light of the complaints made in the last days, the
administration of the network says they will continue to study the
users not to create Cafe-groups for the promotion of violence and
extremism.

“All Cafes aimed to glorify Safarov only promote rise of extremism
in society, and run counter to the efforts to reduce tension in a
particular region, and around the world. The network administration
reserves the right to delete such Cafes without warning, based on
this,”- said in the statement.

To recall, on August 31 the Armenian authorities adopted a decision
to suspend diplomatic relations and official contacts with Hungary.

President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan made public the decision at a
special meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions on Friday after
the Hungarian authorities extradited Azeri officer Ramil Safarov,
who was sentenced by a Hungarian court to life in jail for killing
sleeping Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan with an axe in Budapest
in 2004. Both the officers were undergoing an English language course
under the NATO PfP program. The same day after Safarov’s extradition,
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev decreed to pardon the criminal.

MEP CRITICIZES THE DECISION TO PARDON RAMIL SAFAROV

ARMRADIO.AM
05.09.2012 17:02

Elmar Brok MEP, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the
European Parliament, has criticized the decision by Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev to pardon Ramil Safarov, who has confessed to
the murder of an Armenian soldier in Hungary in 2004.

Mr. Brok commented: “I am deeply concerned about the decision to
pardon Ramil Safarov upon arrival in Baku, to publicly glorify him,
promote him to Major rank, pay him 8 years of salary and offer him
an apartment. Azerbaijan had given a written promise to the Hungarian
authorities that Mr Safarov would continue to serve his life sentence
for at least 25 years when he arrives in Azerbaijan. Now Azerbaijan
has broken this promise.

Safarov is an Azerbaijani soldier who murdered the Armenian officer
Gurgen Margaryan at their NATO training camp in Budapest in 2004. With
the decision to set him free, Azerbaijan is circumventing the valid
conviction of the court of an EU Member State and is presenting a
murderer as a role model to cheering children in Baku.”

“THE ISSUE OF RECOGNIZING KARABAKH IS A BURNING ISSUE,” RUBEN HAKOBYAN SAYS
Nelly GRIGORYAN

September 4, 2012 16:39

“Certainly, yes,” this was the answer of Ruben Hakobyan, the leader of
the Heritage Party parliamentary group, to a question of
whether he thought that the time had come for Armenia’s recognition
of the independence of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic.

“There have been developments against this background and all this
proves and we think that the issue of recognizing Karabakh is a burning
issue. The Republic of Armenia should recognize the independence of
the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic,” Mr. Hakobyan said, meaning the fact
of returning the Azerbaijani officer who had axed an Armenian officer
to Azerbaijan and the developments that had followed.

Let us remind that Zaruhi Postanjyan, the secretary of the Heritage
Party parliamentary group, put forward the Recognition of the
Nagorno-Karabakh Republic bill in the parliament. The bill has been
put forward for the second time. In the first case, the proposal

of the Heritage Party was not successful. Tomorrow the parliament
will convene an extraordinary session; we inquired whether it was
possible that they would talk about that issue too. Mr. Hakobyan
said that according to reliable information he had, the parliament
will make a statement on what had happened at tomorrow’s session,
“The issue of recognition is not on the agenda. It would be good, if
it was on the agenda and we would take back our bill. However, we will
propose it during the discussion.” also inquired of the
Heritage Party parliamentary group leader whether they expected that
the government would agree to the proposal of the Heritage Party. “We
will see tomorrow,” Mr. Hakobyan said.