Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIAN OPPOSITION PARTY DEMANDS NKR’S RECOGNITION

news.am
September 05, 2012 | 17:30

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s opposition Heritage Party issued a statement
in connection with the extradition of the life-sentenced murderer
Ramil Safarov from Hungary to Azerbaijan and with the regional and
international developments generated by this move.

“As a result of extraditing the life-sentenced criminal Ramil Safarov
from Hungary to Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani president got the chance
and deliberately ceased the administration of justice towards a
notorious criminal. The step taken by Ilham Aliyev is unlawful in
essence, it is a provocation threatening to regional stability and
is an expression of fanatic enmity and hatred towards Armenians.

The country led by a president giving that sample of unlawful,
provocative and xenophobic conduct cannot be considered a bearer of
values declared by the United Nations and take a seat at UN Security
Council. The Heritage Party considers that Armenia and especially
the Hungary must raise the issues of expelling the Azerbaijan from
the UN Security Council and transmitting Ramil Safarov to the Hague
International Court at the UN General Assembly.

The Heritage Party values the responses of all international
structures, governments and leaders who condemned the illegitimate and
willful misconduct of Azerbaijani President. We also regret that some
other players at international scene simply called the both parties
to pursue quietude-demonstrating a superficial approach to the problem.

Still in both cases an insufficient attention was paid to
anti-democratic and corrupted essence of Azerbaijani statehood revealed
in full nudity.

According to some publications in Hungary the Azerbaijan had offered
2-3 billion dollars veiled bribe to Budapest for extraditing Safarov.

If a President may dismiss the needs of millions of citizens,
including the refugees, and entitle himself to waste three billion
dollars to make his crazy longing become true then it’s a thorough
proof of absence of state order in the country.

The Heritage Party invites her sister-parties within EPP and especially
the governing Fidesh party of Hungary, as well as the Governments of
EU countries to attach attention to this unveiled reality and assumes
there’s a ground to discuss the suspension of EU Association Agreement
negotiations with Azerbaijan, until a control over the budget and
an end to the arbitrariness of the leaders will be established in
that country.

Regretfully since the 1988 pogroms in Sumgait the anti-Armenian lunacy
in Azerbaijan rarely attracted that much international attention
and had that illustrative expression as the developments around the
Safarov case did. The Heritage Party considers that the emerged
situation is an appropriate ground to introduce the core essence
of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict to the new generation entered to
political-diplomatic circles, to reinstate the necessity of engaging
the NKR representatives into the Minsk group peace negotiations
and to argue the imperativeness of recognizing the independence of
Nagorno Karabakh.

At the same time under the light of the ongoing developments the
Heritage party considers rightful for the Armenian Parliament to
discuss and recognize the independence of Nagorno-Karabakh first and
therefore proposed the relating bill at National Assembly,” Heritage
Party’s statement reads.

HUNGARIAN SCHOLAR: THIS SITUATION IS AN OUTCOME OF POLITICAL DECISIONS, IN WHICH THE PEOPLE HAD NO WORD OR CHOICE

Panorama.am
05/09/2012

When I first heard the news of the transfer of Mr Safarov to the
Republic of Azerbaijan by the Hungarian authorities and his immediate
pardon by the Azeri President, my first reaction was deep shame. This
has grown when new details pointed to the possibility that the timing
was not a coincidence: the Hungarian Prime Ministry might have made a
financial deal. Thus I have to start with telling you how I and many
of us, ordinary Hungarians, are deeply ashamed and wounded by our
Government’s decision and how, just like the Armenians, we shall not
forget how our name was disgraced. I ask the pardon of my Armenian
friends and the international Armenian community on behalf of those
who have missed the opportunity so far to excuse themselves.

However, it must also be made clear that we who feel ashamed can
be only concerned with this case as a moral issue on behalf of our
country. None of us ordinary citizens, and I am sure, not even the
Hungarian government, have any intention to make a statement or
take sides in the Azeri-Armenian conflict. I believe that the very
fact that such a deed – the transfer of a murderer to his country
where he was released – could take place shows that the Hungarian
politicians, or at least the ones who arranged this transfer, are
completely ignorant of the tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan,
or, they simply do not care. It is very much likely, as Hungarian
leading newspapers point out (like Index), that the transfer was
a joint project of the Prime Ministry and the Ministry of Justice,
excluding not even the Foreign Ministry but also the Hungarian foreign
intelligence agencies or any experts. Thus, it is no wonder, that
the present problem might well grow out of ignorance and neglect. It
is ironical that the Hungarian government, who declares to follow a
national conservative ideology, or at least, it pretends to do so,
is so indifferent to other nations’ pride.

But this banality, which is deeply wounding for both Hungarians
(whose leaders are either ignorant or morally corrupt) and Armenians
(Mr Magaryan’s brutal death is left unpunished), may open up a larger
perspective. Here we may face a clash of interest from numerous sides,
mostly politicians. Do not forget, this case is a game between
politicians who may believe that they represent their country’s
(or their own) interest at their best. The Hungarian government may
have needed investment; the Azeri politicians wanted a living hero;
and the government of Armenia may use this opportunity to call the
attention of the international community to their arguments. I would
like to warn Armenians, Hungarians and the Azeri people, that whatever
they feel or think now, this case is used by political representatives
for their own interests, mostly attached to the economic and military
equilibrium in Central Asia. This is why suddenly the US and Russia
also made their own statements in this matter.

None the less that such situation could be forged is due to the
original decision of the Hungarian government. They might have
initiated the transfer in accordance with the international law,
perhaps even without the (otherwise quite obvious) hope for Azeri
money. What seems today important, tomorrow will be overshadowed by
other events whose light shall show a new path for understanding. Even
so, I would like to reassure Armenians in the world and my personal
Armenian friends about my deep shame, as an ordinary Hungarian, and
I ask you not to loose the attachment and friendship you cherished
towards other ordinary Hungarians. This situation is an outcome of
political decisions, in which the people had no word or choice. Do
not identify the people with their government – however any government
would be quite happy for such an identification.

Adam Mestyan

Adam Mestyan is a Hungarian scholar. He is a specialist in Middle
Eastern history, now teaching in the University of Oxford. He is also
known in Hungary as a poet and punk-musician. He is not of Armenian
origin, the family name ‘Mestyan’ is of Slavic origin – mesto-jan.

AN ACTION OF PROTEST AGAINST EXTRADITION OF RAMIL SAFAROV TO BE HELD IN FRONT OF HUNGARIAN EMBASSY IN MOSCOW

arminfo
Wednesday, September 5, 18:53

An action of protest against the extradition of Ramil Safarov will
be held in front of the Embassy of Hungary in Moscow Sept 7. The
organizer of the action is the Union of Armenians of Russia.

The press service of the Union reports that the demonstrators will
express their protest against the actions of the Hungarian authorities
as they certainly knew what consequences their decision might have.

“Armenophonia is a national policy in Azerbaijan, with their President
having proclaimed the Armenians as Azerbaijan’s enemy N1. The pardon of
Safarov is a clear message to the Azeri youth whom they should take for
a model. The Russian political and public circles are worried that such
impunity may spawn similar ‘safarovs’ in Russia and other countries. By
condemning Azerbaijan’s provocation and Hungary’s complicity we will
prevent the recurrence of this dangerous precedent,” the Union says.

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.

ARMENIA DENIES SWISS MEDIATION IN HUNGARY DISPUTE

ARMRADIO.AM
05.09.2012 18:32

There is no need for a mediation to settle relations between Armenia
and Hungary, Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tigran
Balayan said, commenting on the reports about a possible Swiss
mediation to normalize ties between the two countries.

“I do not think there is a need for mediation. What we need here are
clear steps from the Hungarian authorities,” Balayan noted.

The Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi had declared earlier that
“Hungary has accepted an offer from Switzerland to mediate in a dispute
with Armenia caused by the extradition of Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan.”

HUNGARY ACCEPTS SWISS MEDIATION IN THE DISPUTE WITH ARMENIA

ARMRADIO.AM
05.09.2012 14:49

Hungary has accepted an offer from Switzerland to mediate in a dispute
with Armenia caused by the extradition of Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan

Hungarian Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi on Wednesday said it was
“extremely regrettable, unacceptable and condemnable” that the
government of Azerbaijan had not kept its promise to keep Ramil
Safarov, an Azeri officer who received a life sentence in Hungary
for killing an Armenian soldier, behind bars.

Martonyi told Hungarian Public Radio that during his visit in
Switzerland on Monday his counterpart Dider Burkhalter had offered
his country’s help in mending relations between Hungary and Armenia.

Switzerland has been “traditionally a moderator, neutral country”
and Hungary must make use of all possible means to diffuse tension
with Armenia, he added.

Martonyi reiterated that Hungary had acted in good faith in the
case of the Azeri soldier, he said and there had been no economic
considerations involved. What’s most important now is to make
Armenians understand that Hungary has always considered them as a
friend, he said, politics.hu reports.

THE AZERBAIJANIS DON’T SAY IT, BUT THEY REALIZE THAT ONE MUST NOT MAKE A HERO OF A MORON, A POLITICAL SCIENTIST SAYS
Louise SUKIASYAN

September 4, 2012 16:49

“It is obvious that the decision to transfer him to Azerbaijan and to
pardon has been made with the mutual consent of Turkey and Hungary, but
I don’t rule out that other states were aware of the affair not taking
part in it directly,” Armen Minasyan, a political scientist said.

According to the latter, bargaining is not novel in international
relations, “It has always been an applicable tool, in this case,
the affair is just related to our interests, therefore, we make
emotional responses. One should collect more resources focusing on
the solution of problems. There is a possibility to benefit from the
situation, particularly to get certain advantages in the relations
with the European Union. And the issue of ever returning Karabakh to
Azerbaijan should be taken off the agenda of the Karabakh issue.”

According to the political scientist, the relations with NATO should
not be revised, but be complied with the situation, “NATO has an
obvious problem, since the incident took place in the framework
of its program. Besides Hungary, NATO was also responsible for
effectively carrying out the program and ensuring the security of the
participants. Most probably, NATO should draw conclusions applying
them to the relations with its partners.” Talking about the response
of the Minsk Group, our interlocutor said, “Concern about the tensions
in the region can be read between the lines of the statement. The
message was that the issue doesn’t have a military solution. It
is important that Azerbaijan realizes that, whereas Azerbaijan has
ruined the whole work done by the Minsk Group in recent years at one
blow impeding the efforts to establish peace. Regardless of what has
happened, the level of probability that the war will resume is high.”

Talking about the response of Moscow regarding what has happened,
Armen Martirosyan quoted the “alibi” of the latter that the reason
for a late response was the weekend, “One can assume that Moscow was
actually waiting for its partners’ response, since their opinion at
least on the Karabakh issue is the same.”

The political scientist is convinced that making a hero of Safarov
cannot have an impact on the Azerbaijani army, “Rational people
prevail in Azerbaijan. They don’t say it publicly, but they realize
that one must not make a hero of a moron. And the military capacity
of the Azerbaijani army is actually based on the sum of other factors
and not on Safarovs.”

INDEPENDENT ARTSAKH REPUBLIC IS 21 YEARS OLD

Sunday, 02 September 2012 13:31

Today we celebrate the 21st anniversary of the declaration of Nagorno
Karabakh Republic.

A joint session of the People’s Deputies of the Nagorno Karabakh
and Shahumian regional councils, on September 2, 1991, declared
the establishment of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) in the
former borders of the NKAR and the Shahumian region. A declaration
of independence was signed for the NKR. Rightful independence
was realized drawing on the April 3, 1990 USSR legislation; “The
regulation governing questions concerning a union republic seceding
from the USSR”. This law governed the right of national autonomies
to decide independently their state-legal status when seceding from
the USSR. The Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan during the same period
(November 1991), contrary to all legal norms, passed a law liquidating
the NKAR, that the USSR Constitutional Court declared unconstitutional.

Just a few days before the official collapse of the Soviet Union,
on December 10, 1991, a referendum was held in Nagorno Karabakh with
the overwhelming majority of the population voted in favor of total
independence from Azerbaijan.

Since the early morning the procession to the memorial complex
of Stepanakert has already begun. Thousands of Artsakh citizens,
representatives of the NKR and the RA authorities, guests of the
Republic visited the memorial complex to pay a tribute of respect to
the memory of all our victims.

Various events dedicated to the Day of our Republic are going to be
organized in different regions of the Republic, the main concert,
however, will take place at Stepanakert’s Rebirth Square in the
evening.

ARMENIAN DEPUTY SPORT MINISTER CALLS ON YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN EYO EVENTS

ARMENPRESS
5 September, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 5, ARMENPRESS: Armenia’s Deputy Minister of
Sport and Youth Affairs Arsen Karamyan sent a message to youth
non-governmental organizations. The message provided to Armenpress
runs as follows:

” Armenian youth has been intensively cooperating with European youth
organizations for years exchanging the accumulated experience of youth
in democratic society development . Budapest European Youth Centre
of Council of Europe is among the number of our partners.Taking into
consideration criminal Ramil Safarov extradition disgraceful deal with
Azerbaijan, which would inevitably lead to release of assassinate,
encouraging of criminal impunity, destabilization the situation in the
region , I call on to abstain participating in the range of events
organized by Budapest European Youth Centre, indicating the host
country the fact of Safarov extradition to Azerbaijani authorities
by Hungary Government. I urge you to come forth with your stance on
the shameful deal in European various youth structures”.

I also addressed a letter to the Council of Europe’s Directorate of
Youth, depicting in detail extraordinary deal amid Azerbaijani and
Hungarian and asked them to transfer the message to European Committee
other countries’ Government representatives.

BEATING OF ARMENIAN CHAIRWOMAN OF GEORGIAN REGIONAL ELECTION COMMISSION IS AUTHORITIES’ PROVOCATION – MP CANDIDATE

news.am
September 05, 2012 | 01:08

Beating of the chairwoman of the Regional Election Commission of
Akhalkalaki is nothing but a result of the Georgian authorities’
provocative actions, “Javakhk” People’s Movement Chairman Norik
Karapetyan-who is nominated as MP candidate from this region and from
the opposition “Georgian Dream” coalition-told Armenian News-NEWS.am.

‘”Georgian Dream’s’ Akhalkalaki Headquarters Deputy Chief Bezhan
Gunava was summoned to the Election Commission, where Commission
Chairwoman Hasmik Marangozyan began shouting at him. At that time a
Commission member’s [cell] phone rang and the Chairwoman attacked him;
a brawl began,” Karapetyan said.

Also, he stated that the authorities carry out and will continue
to carry out provocative incidents. At the same time he expressed a
concern that such incidents have already reached the regions where
Georgia’s national minorities live.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am informed earlier, members of the Regional
Election Commission of Akhalkalaki, in Georgia’s southeastern
Samtskhe-JavakhetiProvince, have beaten the Commission’s chairwoman,
Gruzia Online news agency of Georgia reports, referring to the Central
Election Commission (CEC) of Georgia.

According to the CEC, Regional Election Commission of Akhalkalaki
members Medea Neparidze, Nino Pkhakadze, and Georgian opposition
leader, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili’s “Georgian Dream” bloc
representative Bezhan Gunava beat Commission Chairwoman Hasmik
Marangozyan on Monday at the Commission building.

Georgia’s CEC condemned this incident and called upon all Commission
members to manifest mutual respect and restraint.

To note, Javakhk-Georgian name: Javakheti-is an Armenian-populated
part of Georgia’s southeastern Samtskhe-JavakhetiProvince.

GORIK GURGENOVICH’S ASSIGNMENT
HAKOB BADALYAN

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 12:59:33 – 05/09/2012

Many want to know what assignment Serzh Sargsyan gave to the head
of the National Security Service Gorik Gurgenovich Hakobyan. By the
way, it is possible that no assignment was given. Many think it was
just a demonstrative step to ease the public tension in relation to
Safarov’s extradition.

But it is also possible that Sargsyan however gave an assignment
relating not to the foreign developments connected with Safarov’s
extradition and the possible events following it, but the home
situation where Serzh Sargsyan’s rivals and opponents could use the
moment to launch a serious political campaign against him.

The point is that all this, at least the first effect, was a serious
hit on Serzh Sargsyan’s power, its effectiveness and vitality in
the foreign political and security issues. Political opponents,
competitors and rivals received a serious ground to launch a large
campaign against Serzh Sargsyan.

On the same day, when the news on Safarov’s extradition and pardon
came, Serzh Sargsyan convened a National Security Council’s session
and a consultation with the ambassadors accredited in Armenia. The
Armenian National Congress issued a rough statement in this relation
condemning Hungary and Azerbaijan. The ANC statement dwelt on the
responsibility of the Armenian authorities stressing the ruling regime
does not care for the state interest.

But the Congress’s statement is the only one to criticize the
government. No other political force has officially raised the issue
on the direct responsibility of the authorities. The Armenian National
Congress, after its statement, didn’t go further and didn’t try to
generate the effect of the statement.

Even the ARF Dashnaktsutyun didn’t recall Nalbandyan’s resignation,
though it seemed, there were all the ground to recall the Dashnaks’
demand. The Congress which was the first to react and to condemn
the idleness of the government remained alone, and the PAP, its
inseparable companion PAP, limited to Vartan Oskanian’s “personal
opinion” on Facebook.

Instead, Robert Kocharyan’s office issued a very interesting statement
which contained no word on the responsibility of the authorities, which
was unprecedented, because all the statement of the second president,
have always dwelt on the government’s responsibility. In this case,
Kocharyan had all the grounds to criticize the power, but he didn’t.

At the same time, along with Kocharyan’s statement, Serzh Sargsyan
put the Prosperous Armenia party in a very hard situation in Gyumri
stating that Vardan Balasanyan is his candidate. Earlier, two deputy
chairmen of the State Revenue Committee had changed: Rubik, or as
he was presented years ago Robert Kocharyan, who is from Dashnak
circles, and Artashes Beybutyan, who is an influential figure in the
coordination of SRC territorial offices.

The feeling is that Serzh Sargsyan ensured an internal rather
than external effect thanks to his “special assignments” to Gorik
Gurgenovich preventing internal political competition or opposition
which had serious grounds.