Author: Kalantarian Kevo

ARMENIA CUTS DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH HUNGARY

Today’s Zaman
Aug 31 2012
Turkey

Armenia’s president says his country is cutting diplomatic ties with
Hungary after the release of an Azerbaijani military officer convicted
of hacking to death an Armenian officer.

The Azerbaijani officer, Lt. Ramil Safarov, was sent back to his
homeland on Friday and, despite assurances, immediately pardoned and
freed by his country’s president.

Safarov was given a life sentence in 2006 by the Budapest City
Court after he confessed to killing Lt. Gurgen Markarian of Armenia
while both were in Hungary for a NATO language course. Azerbaijan and
Armenia are ex-Soviet neighbors who have been locked in a long-standing
conflict over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh.

GAZPROMBANK INCREASES INVESTMENT IN ARMENIA

Vestnik Kavkza
Aug 31 2012
Russia

Gazprombank Deputy CEO Nikolai Korenev said at a meeting with Armenian
Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan in Yerevan that the bank was planning
more business activity in the country, News Armenia reports.

The sides discussed trade-economic programs of Armenia and Russia
developed by the intergovernmental commission, prospects for
development of the Nairit chemical factory in Yereva.

Gazprombank purchased 80% of shares of Areximbank (Armenia) in November
2007. Areximbank organized additional emission in July 2008, purchased
by Gazprombank, increasing its share to 94.15%. Gazprombank purchased
the remaining 5.85% from Raiffeisenbank in September 2008.

Areximbank-Group of Gazprombank (Areximbank was renamed on June 12,
2009) was formed in August 1998 to support business and service
financial streams of Russia and Armenia.

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FURTHER CONTROL OVER RELIGIOUS MINORITIES IN IRAN

Assyrian International News Agency AINA

Aug 31 2012

Various sources tell of intensified pressure by the Religions
Department of the Intelligence Ministry of the Islamic Republic
against Armenian dioceses, associations and organizations affiliated
with Armenian, Jewish, Zoroastrian and Assyrian religious and ethnic
minorities.

Some reports and documents reveal that trade unions are seeking to
gather information about religious minorities to help the government
increase its pressure on Iranian citizens, especially religious
minorities. Religious minorities in Iran have been facing various
kinds of discrimination and legal restrictions since the Islamic
revolution in 1979.

According to Mohabat News, the Human Rights Activists News Agency
reported that Iranian authorities have attempted to gather information
about religious minorities, especially Baha’is through syndicates
in Shiraz.

It is being said that Iranian police have given the form shown in
the picture above to trade unions. When anyone goes to meet with the
trade union, they, as well as their companions, are asked to complete
this form.

Opponents said, “what do our spouse’s personal information, current
and past addresses and the condition of our place of residence have
to do with the union?”

It should be said that trade unions are only asked to obtain
professional and not personal information about their members.

No doubt, such actions by the Iranian government cause Iranian
citizens, especially religious minorities, to be identified and
further controlled.

Further control over religious minorities in Iran

Various sources tell of intensified pressure by the Religions
Department of the Intelligence Ministry of the Islamic Republic
against Armenian dioceses, associations and organizations affiliated
with Armenian, Jewish, Zoroastrian and Assyrian religious and ethnic
minorities.

According to published reports, the Revolutionary Court as well as the
Intelligence and Security police of Tehran sent warning notices to
the offices of parliament members representing religious and ethnic
minorities asking them to obtain reports and information about some
religious minorities immigrants and suspicious regime opponents and
their families inside Iran.

This is while the Intelligence Ministry of the Islamic Republic with
the assistance of the Ministry of Communication and Technology, has
compiled a list of phone numbers registered under Jewish, Armenian
and Assyrian names and constantly spies on them by listening to
their conversations. Also we hear many reports indicating religious
minorities’ representatives in the Islamic Parliament of Iran cooperate
with the Ministry of Intelligence.

A news source inside the country, also told Mohabat News that traces
of a religious minorities representative can be seen in the closure
of some churches as well as the banning of Farsi-speaking Christians
from entering official churches. According to the report it is rumored
that this member of Iranian parliament had confidential dealings with
the Executive Secretary of the evangelical church and thus was able
to bring a very special place of worship for Persian Christians under
the government’s control.

Religious minorities living in Shiraz

Shiraz, the capital of Fars province, is one of the largest cities
of Iran and is a place where numerous religious minorities including
Christian converts live. The religious minorities in this city as
well as all across the country are subjected to harassment and are
being prosecuted by the judicial system of the Islamic Republic.

According to published reports, two religious minority communities,
namely Christians and Baha’is residing in the city have had no good
days since February 2012, for they are severely pressured and harassed
by the intelligence office of that city.

As the published reports reveal, the security authorities raided a
house church in Shiraz and arrested ten Christian converts who had
gathered for worship.

Fariba Nazemian, Mojtaba Hosseini, Homayoun Shokouhi, Mohamad-Reza
Partoei (Koorosh) and Vahid Hakkani were among those arrested. All
these Christian converts are still being held in prison with their
fate unknown.

For more than six month they have been imprisoned in Adel-abad prison
in Shiraz. Although their judicial status is still unknown, what is
clear is that their only crime is their faith in Christianity.

Also, about the same time as these Christians were arrested, the homes
of 30 Iranian Baha’is residing in Shiraz were also attacked by security
authorities and 11 of them were arrested. According to the “Baha’i
Community” News service, security authorities had arrest warrants for
21 of them, but they could not arrest all 21 Baha’i because not all
of them were present at that time. Among those Baha’is arrested was
a mother and her 9 month old baby who were released in the evening
of the same day together with two other Baha’is.

DELEGATION OF LEBANESE BUSINESSMEN TO VISIT ARTSAKH

Mediamax
Aug 30 2012
Armenia

Yerevan/Mediamax/. A Lebanese delegation composed of 57 businessmen
will visit the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic on August 31-September 4.

As journalist Tatul Hakobyan told Mediamax, the businessmen will get
acquainted with NKR investment possibilities and current business
and charity programs.

In Stepanakert, the delegation of Lebanese Armenians is scheduled
to meet with NKR President Bako Sahakyan and Prime Minister Ara
Harutyunyan, as well as visit the villages of Shahumyan and Kashatagh
regions.

85 Lebanese businessmen are members of ARI- Artsakh Roots Investment
Company registered in Cyprus, operating with the Lebanese capital. In
cooperation with NKR authorities, ARI issues low-interest long-term
loans to residents of Kashatagh and Shahumyan regions. Over 600
families have already used the credits issued by ARI over the last
two years.

Within the framework of the visit, representatives of ~SArtsakh~T Fund
will present cows to many families. The Fund has been presenting cows
to all the families living in these communities which have the third
and more kids.

ARMENIAN FM HOLDS MEETINGS IN IRAN

22:23 ~U 31.08.12

Armenia’s FM Edward Nalbandian, who is participating in the 16th
summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Tehran, had a meeting with
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The Iranian leader recalled his visit to Armenia last December. He
noted that the agreements reached with his Armenian counterpart are
being implemented.

The Armenian FM thanked the Iranian leader and conveyed to him the
Armenian president’s greetings. Minister Nalbandian congratulated the
Iranian leader on taking overt the Non-Aligned Movement’s chairmanship
and high-level organization of the Summit.

The sides stressed the development of bilateral cooperation, discussed
implementation of joint economic programs.

With respect to the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process, the Iranian leader
stressed the importance of a fair settlement by means of negotiations.

The Armenian FM also held a meeting with Ali Larijani, Chairman of
the Iranian Parliament. The sides stressed the importance of the
parliament’s efficient cooperation in developing bilateral relations.

Minister Edward Nalbansian also held a meeting with his Iranian
counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi.

SAFAROV EXTRADITION: HOW AZERBAIJAN DECEIVED HUNGARY

PanARMENIAN.Net
August 31, 2012 – 20:19 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – Hungary’s Ministry of Public Administration and
Justice has commented on the extradition of Armenian officer’s murderer
Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan.

According to the ministry, Baku assured Budapest that “informed the
Ministry of Public Administration and Justice of Hungary that Ramil
Safarov’s sentence will not be converted but will immediately be
continued to be enforced, according to the Hungarian judgment.”

When the deceit surfaced it was already too late.

In response to PanARMENIAN.Net rsquo;s inquiry, the ministry cited
the 1983 Strasbourg Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons,
which says that “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.”

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.

However, Safarov was granted a presidential pardon almost immediately
after his arrival in Azerbaijan.

THE APPROPRIATENESS OF MAINTAINING DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH HUNGARY MUST BE DISCUSSED, PRESIDENT SAYS

armradio.am
31.08.2012 19:14

President Serzh Sargsyan invited today a meeting of the RA National
Security Council. At the meeting discussed was the fact of the covert
extradition by the Hungarian authorities to Azerbaijan of the officer
of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces Ramil Safarov, who was serving his
sentence in prison for the vicious, hate murder in 2004 in Budapest
of the officer of the RA Army Gurgen Margarian and the measures to
be undertaken by Armenia under the current circumstances.

Speaking at the meeting, President Sargsyan said: “You already know
what has happened: the brigand, who murdered Gurgen Margarian, was
returned by the Hungarian authorities to Azerbaijan and President
Aliev granted pardon to that murderer. We clearly will not tolerate
that and have to decide on our future steps.

First, it was explicit and has already been done – the RA Minister
of Defense and Chief of Staff have ordered special alert. It is a
necessary condition.

Second, Gorik Gurgenovich, (Head of the RA National Security Service)
I will see you in my office right after this meeting – I have a
special assignment for you.

Third, I want us to discuss the appropriateness of maintaining
diplomatic relations with Hungary.

Fourth, I believe, it would be right for the RA National Assembly to
convene a session and discuss this issue.

Next, I think as early as tomorrow letters must be sent to the leaders
of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chair states. All our diplomatic structures
must receive corresponding instructions. I have already spoken to
the leaders of our traditional parties, and I trust our people abroad
ought to speak out on this too. The Hungarian authorities must realize
that it was a huge mistake. In fact, they cut a deal with the Azeri
authorities, and the commentaries of the Azerbaijani side that the
secret negotiations have been going on for almost a year and that the
issue was eventually solved during the Hungarian Prime Minister’s
official visit to Baku prove that there has been no decision of
the Minister of Justice but rather a coordinated action by the two
countries which cut a deal, agreed actions of their authorities. We
have to present an equivalent response. It was not a plain murder; it
was a hate crime on ethnic grounds, which has been exonerated by the
country which is a member to the European Union. It’s a nasty thing.”

ARMENIAN NATION WILL NEVER FORGIVE – YEREVAN BREAKS DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH HUNGARY (VIDEO)

August 31, 2012 | 20:23

YEREVAN. – Armenia breaks the diplomatic relations with Hungary,
reports Armenian News-NEWS.am.

The President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan invited the extraordinary
meeting with the participation of heads of diplomatic missions
and international organizations accredited in Yerevan, where he
presented the secret agreement between the Hungarian and Azerbaijani
governments on extradition from Hungary to Azerbaijan the Azerbaijani
Ramil Safarov, who murdered Armenian Gourgen Margaryan with axe in
hungary in 2004. In Azerbaijan Safarov has been released and welcomed
as a national hero.

Sargsyan presented Armenia’s official position on the issue. According
to the Armenian president, “Hungarian authorities made a deal with
Azerbaijani authorities.”

“By their actions Hungarian and Azerbaijani authorities opened the
door for the repetition of such crimes. By this decision they send
a message to the murderers: from now on they know that the murder on
the ethnic or religious ground can remain unpunished,” said President
Sargsyan. “I cannot tolerate that. The Republic of Armenia cannot
tolerate that. Armenian nation will never forgive that. I officially
declare that we cease all diplomatic relations with Hungary and break
all official connections.”

Serzh Sargsyan also stressed that Armenia expects official reaction
from all UN states.

KHACHIK ASRYAN’S RESPONSE TO REMARKS LIKE, “THE ARMENIAN EAGLES ARE JACKALS, THEY KILL OUR CHILDREN”

August 30, 2012 14:47

As we have informed, a clash took place between the mothers of
servicemen who died in the army and Khachik Asryan, the head of the
Armenian Eagles NGO, outside the Government Building today. Mr. Asryan
told how the conflict had started, “I was walking by the
Government Building and noticed the mothers who had lost their sons
and whom I respected and still respect deeply. You cannot imagine
how astonished I was, when seeing me, those mothers started to make
offensive remarks and use offensive phrases about my Armenian Eagles,
they were yelling… I was caught by surprise; they were saying that
‘the Armenian Eagles are jackals, they kill our sons and you keep
silent…’ and stuff like that. I couldn’t pass by unconcernedly,
I turned around, approached them and asked ‘are you acquainted with
my activities to make such remarks

and use such phrases?’ A few parents holding pictures started to use
impolite phrases and I was looking silently and listening surprisedly,
then the police officers interfered, but I told the police officers
that ‘I can speak to them, there is no problem, let me listen to
them,’ and continued talking to them, repeating that ‘do you know
Khachik Asryan to show such an attitude toward a man who has stood
by the army all of his life, from one trench to another? Why do you
curse me like that?'”

Mr. Asryan said that the mothers who had lost their sons had never
applied to him regarding their problem before, but he would meet
with the parents once again in the short-run, would understand their
problems and would support as much as he could.

Arpine SIMONYAN

ARMENIAN ACTIVISTS THREW DOWN HUNGARIAN FLAG

ARMENPRESS
31 August, 2012
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, AUGUST 31, ARMENPRESS: Members of the Republican party
of Armenia and a group of activists gathered in front of Hungarian
Consulate in Armenia on August 31 with a protest action. As Armenpress
reports the participants of the action threw tomatoes towards Hungarian
flag and Consulate as a sign of protest. Activists threw down Hungarian
flag. They burnt the photo of perpetrator Ramil Safarov.

Karen Avagyan, the president of Republican Youth Organization,
has highlighted in his interview with Armenpress that they are here
to express their protest voice and embarrassment towards Hungarian
authorities.,,The protest action was not planned and this is our first
response. This way we are trying to grab the attention of international
community on the issue which is unacceptable. Expecting the response
of communities and world powers” Avagyan said. He believes that the
incident is not the failure of Armenian side but the result of secret
and false interaction between Hungary and Azerbaijani. For preserving
public order police officers arrived to the area.

Azerbaijani president Illham Aliyev freed perpetrator Ramil Safarov
the murderer of Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan who was participating
in NATO’s trainings in Budapest.

Azerbaijani president’s press service realized Aliyev’s signed order
text on August 31 in which is mentioned that it operates from the
moment signed. Earlier Azerbaijani press, citing anonymous sources,
noted that Ramil Safarov had been subjected to extradition and already
in Azerbaijani.

Felon officer Ramil Safarov killed Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan
with an ax while sleeping in Budapest November 19, 2004. Both officers
were participating in English trainings in workframes of NATO in
Budapest. Hungarian court sentenced Safarov to life imprisonment
without granting of clemency in first 30 years.