Author: Kanayan Tamar

US Department of State
Sept 1 2012

Pardon of Azerbaijani Soldier

Press Statement
Patrick Ventrell
Acting Deputy Spokesperson, Office of Press Relations

Washington, DC
August 31, 2012

The United States is extremely troubled by the news that the President
of Azerbaijan pardoned Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov, who
returned to Baku today following his transfer from Hungary. Mr.
Safarov had been serving a life sentence in a Hungarian jail for
murdering Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan during a 2004 NATO
training event in Budapest.

We are expressing our deep concern to Azerbaijan regarding this action
and seeking an explanation. We are also seeking further details from
Hungary regarding the decision to transfer Mr. Safarov to Azerbaijan.

We condemn any action that fuels regional tensions.

PRN: 2012/1369

Deutsche Welle, Germany
Sept 1 2012

Tension escalates between Armenia and Hungary

Hundreds of protesters burnt flags outside the Hungarian consulate in
the Armenian capital, Yerevan. The extradition of a prisoner to
Azerbaijan has fueled tension in the Caucasus.

The AFP news agency reported that several hundred angry demonstrators
burned a flag and threw eggs and tomatoes outside the Hungarian
consulate on Saturday.

They were upset with Hungarian authorities for sending a prisoner who
had murdered an Armenian national back to his native Azerbaijan, where
he was pardoned.

Azerbaijani Lieutenant Ramil Safarov had been serving a prison
sentence in Hungary, where he had killed an Armenian officer while
both were attending a training course at a military academy in the
capital, Budapest, in 2004.

The Armenian solder confessed that he had hacked the victim to death
in revenge for his comments allegedly insulting Azerbaijan. The
murderer was then sentenced to life in prison by a Hungarian court and
extradited now, after having served eight years of his sentence.

Instead of having him serve out his sentence, Azerbaijan pardoned the
murderer upon his return, reinstated him to the army and promoted him
to the rank of major.

This prompted Armenia to cut diplomatic ties with Hungary, accusing it
of having struck a deal to secure energy deliveries from oil-rich
Azerbaijan, with which it has been developing close economic ties.

The latest flare-up highlights tensions in the volatile Caucasus
region. Relations between neighboring Armenia and Azerbaijan, two
former Soviet republics, are tense.

They fought a war over the disputed region of Nagorny Karabakh in the
1990s, when Armenian-backed separatists had seized the region from
Azerbaijan. The fighting left some 30,000 people dead.

Despite a cease-fire in 1994, there has not been a final peace deal,
and firefights still erupt frequently along the Karabakh frontline
despite international mediation efforts by Russia, France and the
United States under the auspices of the OSCE.

US President Barack Obama has reacted to the latest developments and
said he was “deeply concerned” about Azerbaijan’s actions.

This criticism was rejected by Azerbaijan, which has insisted the
pardon of the soldier was in line with a European legal convention on
extradition.

,,16214354,00.html

Safarov’s extradition casted Hungary into a political scandal

18:36, 1 September, 2012

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: The opposition fractions of the
Hungarian parliament demand the government to present the reasons for
the extradition of Ramil Safarov. Some of them have also demanded the
Minister of Justice of hungary to step down. Armenpress was informed
about the positions of three leading opposition parties on this
matter.

The chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Socialist Party,
former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary László Kovács also
demanded the Hungarian parliament to have an extraordinary session to
discuss the decision of the Hungarian government to extradite Ramil
Safarov to Azerbaijan. About this Armenpress was informed by the
Socialist Party.

`The members of Orban government bear responsibility for the pressure
that is being applied on Hungary by the international community’,
Kovács mentioned stating that the extradition of an Azerbaijani
national who killed Armenian officer had triggered huge international
pressure. He also demands Hungarian government to present the reasons
for the extradition of Safarov. László Kovács, who served as the
European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union, considers that
one of the reasons for the extradition may have been the purchase of
Hungarian state bonds by Azerbaijan, that’s to say big money played
their role.

Hunagrian Socialist Party is the biggest party in the country’s
parliament with 48 members in a parliament with 300 members.

Hungarian opposition `Democratic coalition’ party demanded the
resignation of Hungarian Minister of Justice and also to set the
extraordinary session of the parliament. This left-centrist party is
headed by former prime-minister Ferenc Gyrcsány. It was established in
2010 as a part of the Hungarian Socialist Party, but later in 2011,
these two parties separated creating distinct parties and fractions in
the parliament. This part has 10 members in the Hungarian parliament.

Besides, Hungarian LMP opposition party blamed the government for
getting into financial deals with Azerbaijan.

On February 19 of 2004 in Budapest Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov
slayed with an ax Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan when the latter
was sleeping. The two officers were taking part in English language
courses in framework of NATO program in Budapest. Hungarian court
sentenced Ramil Safarov to life imprisonment, without a right to be
pardoned during the first 30 years in jail. On August 31 of 2012
Hungarian authorites made a decision to extradite Safarov to
Azerbaijan.

Karabakh most accomplished unrecognized state in FSU region – expert

TERT.AM
17:53 – 01.09.12

The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic is the most accomplished country among
the unrecognized or semi-recognized states on the post-Soviet area, an
Armenian analyst has said.

`Karabakh won in the war and is in control of the territory,’
Alexander Iskandaryan, the director of the Caucasus Institute, told
reporters on Saturday. `The people in Karabakh have managed to create
political mechanisms which, despite having problems like in many other
states, do really work.’

The expert noted that the country, which has a constitution and an
elected government, also has an opposition which, though not developed
enough, demonstrates trends of pluralism.

`The main conclusion to be drawn from the past history is that
Karabakh has to be accepted as an accomplished state,’ he said.

Addressing the problems and challenges the country faced, Iskandaryan
pointed out to demographic issues and the development of Karabakh’s
political system, as well as the military-political balance between
Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Safarov release gives Armenia advantage in Karabakh talks – expert

September 1, 2012 – 16:53 AMT

PanARMENIAN.Net – The release of assassin Ramil Safarov provided the
Armenian side with a strong instrument in Nagorno Karabakh conflict
settlement talks, a political analyst said.

`Safarov’s release damaged Azerbaijan’s international image and
produced a result contrary to what Azerbaijan hoped to get,’ Caucasus
Institute director Alexander Iskandaryan told a news conference in
Yerevan.

`Setting free a criminal, who was convicted for an appalling murder,
and declaring him a hero conflicts with all legal norms,’ he said.
`The Azerbaijani leadership justified a murderer and thus took the
responsibility for the crime.’

Armenia was correct to sever diplomatic ties with Hungary – French MP

news.am
September 01, 2012 | 14:52

Granting pardon to a criminal who is sentenced to life is totally
unacceptable, French National Assembly member and Armenia-France
Interparliamentary Group Chairman François Rochebloine told Armenian
News-NEWS.am, commenting on the Hungarian government’s extradition of
Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan, where he was immediately granted pardon
by the country’s president.

Rochebloine said he is informed of the Armenian President’s decision
to suspend diplomatic relations with Hungary over this incident.

`Armenian President’s decision is correct from the diplomatic point of
view. Pardoning the criminal is impermissible; this will create future
complications between both countries,’ he noted.

In response to the query as to the French MPs’ approach to this
development, François Rochebloine stated that those MPs who are
informed of this incident fully support the position of Armenia.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier, Armenia’s President Serzh
Sargsyan convened, on Friday evening, a special consultation with the
chiefs of diplomatic missions of UN-member states that are accredited
in Armenia, and the heads of international organizations that function
in the country. During the meeting it was informed that Armenia
decided to suspend its diplomatic relations with Hungary for the
latter’s extradition of Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan.

Ramil Safarov, a lieutenant in the Azerbaijani military, was
extradited on Friday from Hungary, where he was serving a life
sentence – and with no expression of either regret or remorse – for the
premeditated axe murder of Armenian lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan, in
his sleep, during a NATO Partnership for Peace program.

As expected, Ramil Safarov’s return to Baku was welcomed, as was his
act of murder, by the officials of president Ilham Aliyev’s government
and much of Azerbaijani society, and the Azerbaijani president
immediately granted him a pardon.

Armenian activists threw coins on Hungarian flag than burnt it

13:26, 1 September, 2012

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: The activists of “Hayazn” and
“Sargis Tkhruni” student union of Social Democrat Hunchakian Party put
the flag of Hungary on the ground and threw coins on it meaning that
Hungary was sold to Azerbaijan. After burning the flag the
participants sang patriotic songs and jointly cried “Shame”, “Death to
the enemy”.

Armenpress reports that with “Shame”, “Death to the enemy” and
“Hungary is a sold country” slogans they held a protest march in front
of Armenian Foreign affairs ministry and Hungarian consulate.

Among those who gathered in front of Foreign affairs ministry were
several people who arrived in Armenia from Hungary including famous
armenologist Sigmund Benedek.

“I am asking for forgiveness from the whole Armenian nation as well as
from the family of Gurgen Margaryan. I consider such behavior of
Hungarian Government as immoral against Armenian nation. Gurgen
Margaryan was murdered in result of crime committed against ethnic
identity. Extradition of Safarov is the great mistake of Hungarian
diplomacy: I will be the ambassador of Armenian opinion in Hungary”
mentioned Hungarian armenologist asking not to put parallels between
Hungarian nation and authorities.

“Hungarian nation is near Armenians and Armenia” he summarized.

Photos are available in the gallery or the Armenian version

Armenia should direct its steps towards Minsk Group: Alexander Iskandaryan

14:34, 1 September, 2012

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: After the extradition of Azerbaijani
blood-mad Ramil Safarov Armenian diplomats gained one more
anti-Azerbaijani argument. Armenpress reports that political scientist
Alexander Iskandaryan during the press conference on September 1
mentioned that he did not consider the happened as a failure of
Armenian diplomacy. “Of course, with such argument we should work
right. It already exists but it is not clear whether it will be used
by us or not” mentioned Iskandaryan.

The latter does not consider right making Hungary the target of our
response actions though our position and reaction are natural. He is
sure that Armenian diplomatic steps should be directed towards Minsk
Group, superpowers and Azerbaijan.

Armenia has already made a decision to suspend diplomatic relations
with Hungary. Hungarian Foreign affairs ministry has already been
informed about it.

NAP: ‘Safarov’s release is triumph of courage and justice’

01 September 2012 [10:36] – TODAY.AZ

Order of President Ilham Aliyev to pardon Ramil Safarov is a triumph
of determination, courage and justice, Deputy Chairman and Executive
Secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party Ali Ahmedov told the
party’s official website. “I believe that the people of Azerbaijan
hold that view,” Ahmedov said.

Congratulating relatives of Safarov, Ali Akhmedov noted that the
release of Ramil Safarov will herald the liberation of Karabakh,
because the fates of Karabakh and Safarov have similar features.

“Both Karabakh, and Ramil became victims of saboteurs. The first is
occupied by the enemy, while the other for so many years was
imprisoned. Ramil was released, next is the liberation of Karabakh.
Please God, day will come, when President, Supreme Commander Ilham
Aliyev announces the liberation of Karabakh. All believe and wait for
it. One injustice has been relegated to history, the other, I believe,
will also be eliminated,” Ahmedov said.

He said that, of course, Safarov going at large is the result of the
peaceful policy of Azerbaijan, enhancing respect for Azerbaijan and
its standing in the international arena.

“Azerbaijani people and the state are known worldwide for their love
of peace, they treat with respect all peoples, religions and cultures.
In world history no cases of Azerbaijan’s violence, injustice against
any country have been recorded. Azerbaijan has the right to expect
from the other the same treatment and is very glad that Hungary was
able to assess all of this,” Ahmedov said.

Citing the words of national leader Heydar Aliyev “When there is mind
– no need to use force”, Ali Ahmedov regarded Safarov’s release as a
result of this mind and wisdom.

“This is the result of the wisdom of President of Azerbaijan Ilham
Aliyev,” he stressed.

Azerbaijan, of course, has the strength and those who have occupied
Karabakh over 20 years are well aware of this, Ahmedov said.

“We have both mind and strength. I want to sincerely say “Go ahead,
Azerbaijan! Let your flag stand,” he said.

Azerbaijani officer Ramil Safarov, who was convicted in Hungary,
returned on Friday to Azerbaijan. Today, under the order of the head
of state, he was pardoned.

Ramil Safarov was born on August 25, 1977 in Jabrail region of
Azerbaijan. Safarov, 34, who participated in NATO exercises in 2004 in
Hungary, was charged with the murder of the Armenian officer Gurgen
Margaryan, who insulted the Azerbaijani flag. By the verdict of the
Budapest court, Safarov was sentenced to life imprisonment without the
right of pardon during 30 years.

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Europe guides itself by realpolitik – Armenian analyst

TERT.AM
13:41 – 01.09.12

The civilized Europe does not care a bit about civilization, guiding
itself by realpolitik, political analyst Levon Shirinyan has said,
commenting on the decision to extradite Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan

According to him, the move has nothing to do with either politics or law.

`All this demonstrates that we have first of all to strengthen our
state because what happened was just a realpolitik that bears no
relationship to politics or law,’ he told reporters on Saturday.

Safarov, who was sentenced to life in prison for brutally killing
Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan in Hungary was extradited to
Azerbaijan where he was granted pardon by the country’s president,
Ilham Aliyev.

Shirinhyan called on the top-class political circles to get rid of
their humanistic attitude to Europe.

`I propose convening urgently an Armenian lobbyist conference to
discuss the steps that could be made in the near future,’ he said.

He recommended the Armenian authorities to wait until the Syrian
conflict is settled, noting that the toppling of the Assad regime
could lead to quite a lot of new developments in the region.