Author: Kalantarian Kevo

Armenian Observer
August15, 2012

Armenians in Syria Need Everyone’s Help

By Prof. Osheen Keshishian

The Syrian political upheaval and unrest, the killings,
kidnappings, plundering have been going on for over a year. And it
seems that there is no immediate abating or an end to the sad
situation. International observers, statesmen and experts (sometimes
starting themselves the situation), do not see a ray of hope for the
betterment of the situation for the time being. A tense and
unpredictable situation exists, which has claimed the lives of more
than 18,000 people, according to the Human Rights Defense
Organization.

Without delving into the reasons, circumstances, and the
political ramifications, it is only proper to save the lives of the
rest of the population.

Following the Armenian Genocide perpetrated by the Ottoman
Turkish government, the Armenian people had thousands and thousands of
orphans and refugees who were scattered all over the Middle East.
Syria was one of the countries that extended a helping hand to
thousands of refugees, including my parents and grandparents, who were
saved from the Genocide and for a while lived in Aleppo, Syria, in a
most hospitable atmosphere and which became a safe haven for most of
the Armenians.

The Armenian community had reached close to 150,000 and it
thrived in many ways during the past 100 years heritage-wise as many
Armenian schools and orphanages were opened, artistic, athletic and
cultural associations were established, theater groups present
Armenian and non-Armenian plays, churches were consecrated, Armenian
medical dispensaries served thousands of people, books were published
and most of all Armenian daily newspapers thrived in Aleppo. Armenians
also slowly helped the business world in Syria.

Once the active hub of Armenian life of the Diaspora, the
condition in Syria has dramatically changed and the Armenians as well
as the general population need assistance immediately.

The Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) gallantly
earmarked $1 million for the Armenians in Syria, the Armenian Relief
Society and other organizations have come forward to assist the
community.

Some Armenians wanted to go to Armenia, a short flight
from Syria, to either live there permanently or for a short time. And
many did, after all they had to save their lives. After some
hesitation, Armenia finally decided to help. Armenia instituted a
simplified procedure for granting Armenian citizenship to thousands of
Armenians from Syria, Aleppo and Damascus. Actually, they should be
able to receive their visas at Yerevan Airport, like U.S. and European
Union nationals. Although the laws are changing every week, it is not
clear as yet as to how people will get their visas. Thousands of
Syrian-Armenians have already moved to the Motherland, however, there
is no exact figure or a close count, since every week the number is
augmenting.

There is an emergency situation in Syria and the whole
world knows about it. The once active Armenian community is on the
verge of collapse and disintegration. Armenians all over the world
cannot remain indifferent and idle. They should rise to the occasion
and without wasting time or mincing words, extend a helping hand to
their brothers and sisters in these times of distress in an urgent
fashion.

Time is flying and they need our serious assistance if we
expect to survive as a people.

Voice of America
Sept 1 2012

Armenians Protest Hungary’s Decision to Repatriate Soldier

Posted September 1st, 2012 at 2:50 pm (UTC-4)

More than 100 Armenians gathered Saturday to protest Hungary’s
decision to repatriate an Azerbaijani soldier who killed an Armenian
military officer in 2004.

Demonstrators burned the Hungarian flag Saturday in the Armenian
capital, Yerevan.

On Friday, Hungary sent Ramil Safarov back to his native Azerbaijan,
where he was immediately pardoned and freed by Azerbaijan’s president,
Ilham Aliyev.

Armenia responded by saying it is cutting ties with Hungary.

Safarov received a hero’s welcome upon arriving Friday in Azerbaijan’s
capital, Baku.

A Hungarian court gave Safarov a life sentence in 2006 after he
confessed to murdering Armenian Lieutenant Gurgen Markarian in his
sleep.

The United States said Friday it is deeply concerned about Hungary’s
decision to pardon Safarov.

Interfax, Russia
Aug 31 2012

Yerevan outraged by extradition of Armenian soldier murder convict to Baku

YEREVAN. Aug 31

Yerevan has expressed its bewilderment over the decision by Hungarian
authorities to extradite Azeri soldier Ramil Safarov, who is serving a
life sentence in Budapest for killing an Armenian Army officer, Gurgen
Markarian.

“The decision by the Hungarian authorities to extradite criminal
Safarov to Azerbaijan causes indignation and bewilderment, to say the
least, because it was clear what the murderer is facing in
Azerbaijan,” Armenia’s ruling Republican Party spokesman and
Parliamentary Deputy Speaker Eduard Sharmazanov said.

Senior lieutenant Safarov killed Markarian for desecrating an Azeri
flag in Hungary in 2004.

On April 13, 2006, Safarov was sentenced to a life in prison without a
right for parole in the first 30 years. Both officers were in Budapest
to do an English language course organized under NATO’s Partnership
for Peace Program.

Yerevan is also outraged by the fact that Safarov was pardoned by
Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev.

“I believe that the decision to pardon the murderer should be not left
without a response and deserves a condemnation on the part of
international community,” the Armenian deputy speaker said.

Armenian President Serzh Sargsian called an emergency meeting of the
National Security Council, the Armenian president’s spokesperson told
Interfax on Friday.

The president also invited to the meeting UN diplomats and local heads
of international organizations accredited in Armenia.

Agence France Presse
August 31, 2012 Friday 4:09 PM GMT

Azerbaijan sparks fury by pardoning killer of Armenian

BAKU, Aug 31 2012

Azerbaijan enraged Armenia on Friday by pardoning a soldier who was
jailed for life for hacking an Armenian officer to death with an axe
during a NATO training course in Hungary in 2004.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued an order that killer Ramil
Safarov, 35, “should be freed from the term of his punishment”
immediately after he was extradited from Hungary where he had been
serving his sentence.

Armenian President Serzh Sarkisian told an emergency meeting of his
national security council that Hungary had made a “grave mistake” in
extraditing the prisoner and that his country should make an
“appropriate response”.

“This is not a simple murder. It is murder on ethnic grounds,” he said
in comments released by his press service.

Safarov killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian at a military academy
in Budapest where the servicemen from the ex-Soviet neighbour states
were attending English-language courses organised by NATO.

His lawyers claimed in court that he was traumatised because some of
his relatives were killed during the war between Azerbaijan and
Armenia over the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh in the 1990s, and
alleged that Margarian had insulted his country.

“I want to express my appreciation and gratitude to the president and
commander-in-chief Ilham Aliyev for this humane move,” Safarov was
reported as saying by Azerbaijani media after being greeted as a hero
when he arrived in Baku on a special flight.

Safarov then visited a memorial to those killed in the war accompanied
by a crowd of supporters who chanted slogans such as “We’ll liberate
Karabakh”.

Armenia-backed separatists seized Nagorny Karabakh from Azerbaijan in
the war that left some 30,000 people dead, and despite years of
negotiations since a 1994 ceasefire, the two sides have not signed a
final peace deal.

Azerbaijan has threatened to take back the region by force if peace
talks do not yield results, while Armenia has vowed massive
retaliation against any military action.

eg-mkh-emc/am/har

Hungary put up for sale on ebay

04:49 pm | Today | Social

“Hungary for Sale” announcement was posted on Hungary
is “sold” for 3 billion Euro. This is the price that Azerbaijani
authorities paid so that of the criminal Ramil Safarov who killed
Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan could be extradited to Azerbaijan.
It is also said in the notice: “If you have several billion Euro, you
can do anything you like in this country of the European Union”.

It should be mentioned that 28 people have already expressed a desire
to “buy” Hungary, but they offered very low prices.

Armenian youth chess team wins Azerbaijani team

`45
18:08 . 01/09

Armenia’s Under-16 chess team had a 3:1 win over the Azerbaijani team
in the 4th round of Under-16 World Chess Olympiad ongoing in Istanbul.
Our team is the 5th with 11 points.

Armenpress reported in this round Tigran Harutyunyan and Vladimir
Kanjaryan performed better.

In the 5th round the Armenian youth chess team will compete with the
Serbian team, which has also scored 11 points.

The Russian youth chess team is the sole leader of the tournament with
12,5 points.

39 teams are participating in this tournament.

Armenian politician calls on three presidents to unite

TERT.AM
20:58 – 01.09.12

The leader of the National Unity party has called on Armenia’s former
and incumbent presidents to join their efforts towards condemning a
recent decision to extradite and pardon Ramil Safarov, the Azerbaijani
officer who was sentenced to life imprisonment for brutally killing
Gurgen Margaryan, an officer of the Armenian army.

Speaking to Tert.am, the politician appealed to Levon Ter-Petrosyan
and Robert Kocharyan, as well as the incumbent president, Serzh
Sargsyan, to issue a joint statement in this connection.

`It is impossible to forget either Levon Ter-Petrosyan or Robert
Kocharyan’s contribution to the liberation of Artsakh. So it is time,
in this respect, to make our decisive voice heard. Foreign forces must
not try to split up the nation, profiting by the existing
disagreements,’ Artashes Geghamyan said.

Addressing President Sargsyan’s Friday speech, Geghamyan characterized
it as consolidating and influential.

`A foreign nation has to realize that there questions that make an
Armenian put aside his own interests. Once an Armenians genetic code
is united, the nation becomes invincible,’ he said.

An agreement is signed between Armenian Genocide Museum and Lidice
memorial complex

On August 28-31 director of the Armenian Genocide Museum Institute
Hayk Demoyan visited Prague. On August 29 Hayk Demoyan had a meeting
with the representatives of Armenian Community to present the program
of the 100th anniversary of Armenian Genocide. Press and information
department of Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informs about this.

On August 31 Hayk Demoyan and Milosh Chervencel, head of the Lidice
memorial complex signed an agreement on cooperation between Armenian
Genocide Museum Institute. The document intends exchange of the
exhibitions and publications, presentation of the historical and
archive materials and exchange of the experts.

Before the signing ceremony the sides discussed concrete offers of cooperation.

Armenian Ambassador to Czech Republic Tigran Seyranyan, fellow-workers
of the Embassy and the memorial complex, representatives of the
Armenian Community and mass media attended the ceremony.

Then the participants of the meeting put flowers at the memorial
complex devoted to the 82 children who were perished in Lidice and
watched the presentations of the museum.

01.09.12, 15:46

Congressman Berman criticizes extradition and release of Ramil Safarov

12:42, 1 September, 2012

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: US congressman Howard Berman issued
a statement on occasion of extradition and release of blood-mad Ramil
Safarov. Armenpress reports that in the statement is particularly
mentioned: “Hungary’s release of Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov,
the convicted murderer of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan is a gross
miscarriage of justice. That Safarov in a premeditated fashion killed
Margaryan at a NATO Partnership for Peace event underscores the
cynical brutality of his act. For the Hungarian Government to have
demonstrated leniency in this matter is of grave concern.The Hungarian
government owes the Magaryan family, the Armenian nation, all its NATO
partners, and all participants in Partnership for Peace a sincere
explanation and a profound apology for its inexplicable act. The
Azerbaijani government’s decision to free Safarov is contemptible and
a serious blow to hopes for Armenian-Azerbaijani peace.”

Ramkavar Azatakan Party: Hungary sold its conscience

September 1, 2012 – 15:16 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Ramkavar Azatakan Party issued a statement on the
extradition of Gurgen Margaryan’s killer Ramil Safarov and the further
pardon by the Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev.

`The news on Safarov’s extradition to his homeland and further pardon
by president Aliyev aroused resentment of Armenians across the globe.
In an unprecedented move, a state leader acted as an ordinary
assassin,’ the party said. `Azerbaijan’s behavior is not surprising as
misanthropy is an ordinary lifestyle for them. Most surprising and
irritating is the behavior of Hungarian authorities who sold their
principles and violated all the acceptable values for some 2 billion
dollars.’

Ramkavar Azatakan Party condemns such an attitude towards this
disgusting criminal and urges all party members and supporters in
Diaspora to do their best to for the condemnation of the disgraceful
deal between Hungary and Azerbaijan’, the statement says.