Author: Kalantarian Kevo

FRANCE: SAFAROV PARDONING MAY UNDERMINE KARABAKH SETTLEMENT

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 4, 2012 – 14:28 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – French Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the
extradition and pardoning of Azeri assassin Ramil Safarov.

According to the Ministry statement, France, as well as other OSCE
Minsk Group members supports a peaceful settlement of Nagorno Karabakh
conflict.

The Ministry believes that Baku’s decision to pardon the murderer may
seriously harm Karabakh conflict settlement negotiations as well as
efforts to promote the atmosphere of mutual trust.

Ramil Safarov, the Azerbaijani army officer who was serving a life
sentence in Hungary for axing to death Armenian Lt. Gurgen Margaryan,
was extradited to Azerbaijan and pardoned by Azerbaijani President
Ilham Aliyev.

Official Yerevan reacted by suspending diplomatic ties with Hungary.

Hungary, however, states that it had sent Safarov back to Azerbaijan
after receiving assurances from the Azerbaijani Justice Ministry that
Safarov’s sentence, which included the possibility of parole after
25 years, would be enforced.

BULGARIA’S ARMENIANS THROW COINS AT HUNGARIAN EMBASSY

PanARMENIAN.Net
September 4, 2012 – 16:09 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Some 50 people gathered in front of Hungary’s embassy
in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia to protest against Hungary’s extradition
to Azerbaijan of Ramil Safarov, the murderer of Armenian army officer
Gurgen Margaryan, novinite.com reported.

The protesters – members of the local Armenia minority, according to
media – sang Armenia’s national anthem and chanted “Shame on
Hungary!” and “Disgrace!” They also threw small coins at the building
of the Hungarian embassy.

New protests are to take place in front of the Hungary’s embassy
in Sofia, the next one most likely to be scheduled for September 11,
when a World Cup qualifier will be played between the teams of Bulgaria
and Armenia.

Armenians constitute Bulgaria’s fourth largest minority.

Safarov, who was sentenced to life by a Hungarian court for the murder
of Armenian office Gurgen Margaryan in February 2004, was extradited
to Azerbaijan on Aug 31, 2012 and immediately pardoned by the country’s
President Ilham Aliyev.

In response, Armenia suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary.

HOW CAN HUNGARY PRETEND TO HAVE BELIEVED IN FALSE AZERBAIJANI PROMISES? – ARMENIAN FM

news.am
September 04, 2012 | 14:31

YEREVAN. – Armenia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Edward Nalbandian on
Tuesday paid a visit to Yerevan State University (YSU) and delivered
the new education year’s first lecture at the Faculty of International
Relations.

Nalbandian presented Armenia’s outlook on several key regional and
international issues.

Reflecting on the Azerbaijani murderer’s release as a result of a
Hungarian-Azerbaijani arrangement, FM specifically said:

“Azerbaijan was working intensively to relocate the criminal, and the
Hungarian authorities were categorically rejecting all these attempts.

What happened that Hungary’s current government suddenly believed in
the Azerbaijan’s lies?

Ever since Safarov’s crime, Azerbaijan was persistently glorifying
this horrendous crime and making a hero out of the murderer. Now,
how can Hungary pretend to have believed in the false Azerbaijani
promises and taken that suspicious step?

Azerbaijan’s authorities are attempting to bring to the level of
interstate relations the corruption that is deeply entrenched in
their country.

Knowing about Azerbaijan’s attempts, Armenia continually invited the
Hungarian authorities’ attention to the impermissibility of extraditing
the criminal, and received unequivocal assurances that such move was
ruled out.

This shameful move by Azerbaijan’s leadership has shocked the
international community. But the responses coming from Azerbaijan in
the most recent days cause no lesser shock. In actual fact, Azerbaijan
expresses its cynical disregard toward the international community.”

AXE MURDER COMPLICATES EU-AZERBAIJAN LOVE AFFAIR, EU OBSERVER

tert.am
04.09.12

EU countries have criticised “strategic partner” Azerbaijan for making
a national hero out of an axe-murderer, EU Observer writes.

It says on 19 February 2004 during a Nato seminar at a military school
in Budapest, he walked into the bedroom of a sleeping Armenian soldier,
hit him 16 times with an axe and partly decapitated his dead body. On
31 August this year, Hungary put Azerbaijani lieutenant Ramil Safarov
on a plane to Baku where President Ilham Aliyev pardoned him, promoted
him to the rank of major and gave him eight years of back pay.

Speaking in the context of a 20-year-long ethnic conflict between
Armenia and Azerbaijan, a senior Azerbaijani official the same day
told state media that Safarov had “defended his country’s honour and
dignity” in butchering the 25-year-old victim, the media writes.

The official added that Aliyev clinched the deal personally with
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Baku in July, fuelling
speculation – and denials – in Hungary that Orban extradited Safarov
in return for a promise that Azerbaijan will buy Hungarian bonds.

The EU on Monday (3 September) joined Russia and the US in criticising
Aliyev’s behaviour.

Its foreign relations spokeswoman, Maja Kocjanic, told press
in Brussels: “We are particularly concerned with the impact the
developments might have on the wider region.”

She later told EUobserver that the EU foreign service is drafting
a written statement and that EU foreign ministers might discuss the
subject at their next meeting, due in Cyprus on Friday.

Russia’s foreign minister earlier on Monday said he is “deeply
concerned” and that the actions “run counter” to peace efforts.

The White House back on 31 August said it had conveyed its
“disappointment” to Aliyev.

Meanwhile, Hungary has been the most energetic in condemning the
affair.

It summoned Azerbaijan’s ambassador for an official telling-off in the
Hungarian capital and it leaked a letter from the Azerbaijani ministry
of justice promising that Safarov would stay in jail. Hungarian spin
also includes saying that it is no worse than the UK, which sent
Lockerbie plane bomber Abdelbaset Megrahi back to Libya in 2009.

Nobody in Armenia, at the least, believes Hungary, however.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan last week severed diplomatic ties
with the EU country and said it had broken promises made “just a
few days ago” that the axe-killer would stay in place. “There are
no doubts they were well informed about what was going to happen
[with Safarov’s pardon],” an Armenian diplomat told this website.

The developments are unwelcome for all parties involved.

Hungary was already trying to improve its image as one of the sick
men of Europe after Orban’s recent attempt to gain political control
of the central bank, courts and media.

The EU and Russia’s mild rebukes come amid their competing efforts to
get Azerbaijani gas flowing into EU-bound or Russia-bound pipelines
in the next few years.

The US rebuke comes amid its aim to use Azerbaijan to help withdraw
its soldiers from Afghanistan in 2014.

EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy went to Baku and shook hands
with Aliyev in July. But Van Rompuy had nothing to say on the subject
on Monday. EU energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger visited Baku this
weekend, but also said nothing.

“This actually embarrasses countries which are engaged with Azerbaijan
and makes it harder for the West to look the other way. It’s
[glorification of Safarov] is so over the top, it actually reminds me
of North Korea and Turkmenistan under [former leader] Turkmenbashi,”
Richard Giragosian, a Yerevan-based analyst, told this website.

“Even [Azerbaijan’s main ally] Turkey is embarrassed and put off,”
he added.

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SHOULD NOT LET AZERBAIJAN CONTINUE ADVENTUROUS POLICY: EDWARD NALBANDIAN

ARMENPRESS
4 September, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 4, ARMENPRESS: Armenia does not take attempts to
come out from negotiations of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement
and fail them: such steps are implemented by Azerbaijan. About
this declared Foreign affairs minister of Armenia Edward Nalbandian
during the joint press conference with Argentinean foreign minister
Hector Marcos Timerman on September 4. Minister Nalbandian mentioned
that extradition of Azerbaijani blood-mad Ramil Safarov who murdered
Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan already has very negative influence
on the negotiating process, especially on regional stability and
security. “Azerbaijan rejects all the suggestions of Co-Chairs.

Everybody knows the reaction of both Armenian and Azerbaijani sides
after statements of Co-Chair countries’ presidents. Suggestions
of withdrawal of snipers, strengthening of cease-fire regime,
and installation of investigation mechanisms have been rejected by
Azerbaijan” mentioned Nalbandian.

In his words Azerbaijani military announcements, treats and
provocations in contact line are not favorable for negotiating
process. “There is not any country in the world which increases its
military budget with such rates” he added.

He highlighted that international community should not let Azerbaijan
continue that adventurous policy which is full of serious dangers for
international and regional stability and security. “Since the crime
of Ramil Safarov Azerbaijan consistently praised the crime: even the
murderer was introduced as an example for Azerbaijani young man.

International community is concerned with this deal: how a member
country of NATO, European Union, Council of Europe pretend that it
believes Azerbaijan” mentioned Nalbandian.

He thinks that Azerbaijan, which is buried in corruption, tries to
export it abroad. During the last years in international media there
were serious publications about it. “This is a serious warning to
countries which have the temptation for such deals” said Armenian
Foreign minister.

BILL ON RECOGNITION OF NKR INTRODUCED IN THE ARMENIAN PARLIAMENT

armradio.am
04.09.2012 15:48

Secretary of the Heritage faction Zaruhi Postanjyan submitted a bill on
Recognition of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic to the National Assembly.

If the bill passes, the Republic of Armenia will recognize the de
facto status of Artsakh, taking into consideration the fact that the
Republic of Nagorno Karabakh fully complies with all preconditions
a sovereign state should meet under international law.

HRAPARAK: ARMENIA’S PROSECUTOR GENERAL SEEKS TO INCREASE HIS INFLUENCE IN ARAGATSOTN

Panorama.am
04/09/2012

Armenia’s Prosecutor General, Aghvan Hovsepyan, seeks to increase
his influence in Aragatsotn region, Hraparak reports.

The paper reminds that Hovsepyan was trying to make the owner of
Ashtaraki Dzor Restaurant, Karen Gevorgyan, Mayor of Ashtarak, but RPA
decided to pass another candidate, Armen Antonyan, in the town. And
now the Prosecutor is trying to make Karen Gevorgyan Deputy Governor
of Aragatsotn.

However, the paper’s sources say, RPA has promised the Deputy
Governor’s post to Orinats Yerkir Party.

AZERBAIJAN BREACHES TRUCE MORE THAN 12,000 TIMES SINCE BEGINNING OF 2012

news.am
September 04, 2012 | 01:03

YEREVAN. – Azerbaijani Armed Forces violated the ceasefire, at their
line of contact with Armenia’s and Nagorno-Karabakh’s armed forces,
over 12,160 times since the beginning of this year.

Azerbaijan made use of sniper weaponry more than 2,300 times and
large-caliber weaponry, close to 334 times, Armenia’s MOD reports.

And eleven Armenian military servicemen were killed and twenty-one
others-including three civilians-were wounded as a result of
Azerbaijan’s ceasefire violations since the beginning of 2012.

To note, Azerbaijan wishes to set new “records” in terms of breaching
the truce in recent years. It violated the ceasefire 600 times in
2006; 1,400 times in 2007; 3,500 times in 2008; 4,600 times in 2009;
7,200 times in 2010; and more than 12,600 times in 2011.

NO WORD ON HUMANITY AND DEMOCRACY
Naira Hayrumyan

Story from Lragir.am News:

Published: 11:27:10 – 04/09/2012

Reading the statements of Russia, the U.S., the European Union and
Minsk Group co-chairs condemning Ramil Safarov’s release, you see the
world has cardinally changed. The world policy was aimed at the spread
of democracy and humanity, or at least, it was guided by this slogan.

Now, these words are not even mentioned in the statements: they
only dwell on regional stability and likelihood of resumption of
hostilities. Though the point is about the most anti-human and
anti-democratic step ever made: glorification of a person who axed
another person on ethnic grounds.

If there is no humanity and democracy, on what the world policy is
built now. This is a very serious issue to be understood by Armenia
which is facing a choice and needs to choose the best value system
refusing anti-human cultures, though sometimes we had to take them
as dominants. But the Christian principles of humanity and equality
allowed the Armenians to keep their religion for 1700 years being in
the center of the Muslim world.

Announcing the policy course towards the European values, Armenia
seemed to be more than ever closer to the humanity and democracy in the
country. But here, we find out that these values are selectively used
in Europe, just as a facade. Sure, the basic principles of democracy
function in Europe, like those relating to the elections, courts,
equality and human rights, but Europeans don’t think these values
should be respected out of Europe.

In the U.S. where the democracy reached significant heights,
interesting events are happening now. A couple of months prior to the
presidential elections, Obama’s ethnicity is discussed. And they say
that he has already fulfilled his mission and proved that the most
discriminated part of the society, the black people, can have their
president. Now, apparently, it is the turn of another “discriminated”
part – religious minorities. Mitt Romney needs to prove that a Mormon
can become the U.S. president. The next election will aim to prove
the sexual equality in the U.S.

All this is nice but it is a bit false because the real democracy
does not suppose for demonstrative steps but real equal competition.

Humanity supposes for unambiguous assessments.

Humanity and democracy are in the blood of Armenians, who are not
bloodthirsty by nature, who prefer peace, intellectual or commercial
activities, who are used to support each other. But humanity and
democracy should be supported by the self-esteem and freedom, which
would allow protecting our own and others’ right.

TURQUIE : UNE JOURNEE INTERNATIONALE DE LA PAIX MEMORABLE

Publie le : 04-09-2012

Info Collectif VAN –

Credits photographiques: Ihsan Kacar

En Turquie, cette annee encore la Journee internationale de la Paix
a ete observee le 1er septembre. L’IHD (Association des droits de
l’homme)-Branche d’Istanbul* a participe aux manifestations, afin
d’exiger la fin de la guerre contre les Kurdes et la reconnaissance
de leurs droits. Le face a face entre les manifestant(e)s et la
police venue leur barrer le chemin s’est revele un moment tout a
fait singulier : les membres de l’IHD ont decide de marcher vers
les forces de police casquees et cuirassees, de s’arreter face a
elles et de les regarder droit dans les yeux, en silence, pendant
une demi-heure. Sans crier de slogans, des femmes (pour l’essentiel)
d’âge mur, toutes vetues de blanc, ont fixe les policiers harnaches
de pied en cap. Ces derniers se sont rapidement sentis mal a l’aise,
officiers inclus, et ont detourne le regard.

Au bout d’une demi-heure, les manifestant(e)s ont ecrit le mot BARIS
(paix) avec des bougies, juste au pied des policiers. Les femmes ont lu
leur communique de presse demandant que les campagnes militaires contre
les Kurdes cessent et que des negociations soient entamees avec les
mouvements armes kurdes, puis se sont retirees, toujours en silence.

La police turque a l’habitude des cris et des slogans, et d’y repondre
par les gaz lacrymogènes et les arrestations. Face a une situation
inedite, elle semblait desemparee.

Un moment de fraîcheur, digne des photos de Doisneau, a l’heure où
l’on apprend que le conflit a fait de nouveaux morts dans le sud-est
du Pays.

*L’IHD-Branche d’Istanbul est partenaire des actions de
sensibilisations aux genocides et a leur deni organisees chaque
annee a Paris par le Collectif VAN. L’IHD demande la reconnaissance
officielle, par la Turquie, du genocide des Armeniens et soutient,
notamment, le vote d’une loi de penalisation du negationnisme en
France. Elle lutte au quotidien, dans des conditions difficiles,
pour les droits des minorites en Turquie et pour la liberation des
centaines d’intellectuels, d’elus, d’etudiants, d’enfants emprisonnes
sans raison et souvent sans procès en Turquie.

Info Collectif VAN

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