Author: nina hovnanian

CANADIAN-ARMENIAN YOUTH TO HOLD DEMONSTRATION AT THE AZERBAIJANI AND HUNGARIAN EMBASSIES IN OTTAWA

armradio.am
05.09.2012 11:55

Canadian-Armenian youth organizations across the country have jointly
organized a demonstration at the Hungarian and Azerbaijani Embassies in
Ottawa, protesting the release, pardoning and promotion of Azerbaijani
axe-murderer, Ramil Safarov. The demonstration will be held on Friday,
September 7, 2012, beginning at the Hungarian Embassy.

The protestors will then march towards the Azerbaijani Embassy and
continue the demonstration there.

In early 2004, Hungary hosted NATO’s Partnership for Peace program
in Budapest, which offered English language courses to military
personnel from different countries. On the evening of February 19,
2004, Safarov, a participant from Azerbaijan, intruded into Armenian
participant Gurgen Margaryan’s dormitory while Margaryan was asleep,
and proceeded to hack Margaryan’s face with an axe multiple times,
nearly decapitating him. The Government of Azerbaijan did not condemn
Safarov’s acts and instead encouraged local media agencies to praise
him as a national hero. Azerbaijan’s National-Democratic Party even
awarded Safarov with the title of “Man of the Year 2005” for the act
of killing an Armenian.

On April 13, 2006, a Hungarian court sentenced Safarov to life
imprisonment without possibility of a pardon until 2036. On August
31, 2012, the Hungarian government decided to extradite Safarov to
Azerbaijan on the condition that he continued to serve the remainder
of his life sentence there. However, upon his arrival in Baku,
Azerbaijan’s President, Ilham Aliyev, immediately issued an official
pardon and freed Safarov. Furthermore, he was promoted to the rank
of major, given an apartment and paid all salary lost during his
imprisonment.

Canadian-Armenians condemn the actions of both the governments
of Hungary and Azerbaijan, urge the international community to
demand an apology from the Hungarian Government, and ask for the
retraction of their immoral decision to extradite Safarov. Furthermore,
Canadian-Armenians demand a reversal of the pardon and the immediate
imprisonment of Ramil Safarov, from the government of Azerbaijan.

L’UE EGALEMENT PREOCCUPE PAR LE PARDON AZERI
Stephane

armenews.com
mercredi 5 septembre 2012

L’Union Europeenne a critique lundi l’Azerbaïdjan pour la liberation
d’un officier de l’armee azerbaïdjanaise qui a tue un lieutenant
armenien en Hongrie il y a plus de huit ans.

” Nous sommes preoccupes par les nouvelles que le president de
l’Azerbaïdjan a gracie l’officier Ramil Safarov qui a ete accuse et
condamne a la prison a vie pour l’assassinat d’un officier de l’armee
armenienne en 2004 ” a declare Maja Kocijancic, porte-parole de la chef
de la diplomatie europeenne, Catherine Ashton, Haute Representante
de l’Union pour les affaires etrangères et la politique de securite
lors d’une conference de presse a Bruxelles.

” Nous suivons de près la situation et sommes en contact avec les
parties concernees pour obtenir plus d’informations ” a declare
Maja Kocijancic.

” Nous sommes particulièrement preoccupes par l’impact possible
que ces evolutions pourraient avoir sur l’ensemble de la region, et
c’est pourquoi nous demandons a l’Azerbaïdjan et l’Armenie de faire
preuve de retenue sur le terrain et dans les declarations publiques,
afin d’eviter tout type d’escalade dans cette situation “.

La fonctionnaire a dit que les dirigeants de l’UE a Bruxelles sont
desormais ” en contact avec les autorites hongroises “. ” Il s’agit
d’un echange d’informations. Mais bien sûr, c’est une histoire
en cours, et il est possible qu’il y aura egalement un echange
d’informations au niveau de l’UE ” a declare Maja Kocijancic.

Les representants des Etats membres pourraient discuter de la question
lors d’une reunion prevue pour mardi, a-t-elle ajoute.

La porte-parole de Catherine Ashton a evite de commenter la decision
de l’Armenie de suspendre les relations diplomatiques avec la Hongrie
en reponse a ce qu’Erevan voit comme un accord secret sur l’extradition
de Safarov par les gouvernements hongrois et de l’Azerbaïdjan.

AFFAIRE SAFAROV : L’OPPOSITION SOUTIENT LE PARTI AU POUVOIR
Laetitia

armenews.com
mercredi 5 septembre 2012

Les legislateurs des forces de l’opposition ont sevèrement critique le
gouvernement pour ne pas avoir empeche le rapatriement de l’officier
azeri Ramil Safarov en Azerbaïdjan.

Neanmoins, les forces de l’opposition armeniennes du parlement
armenien ont signe une declaration redigee par la majorite
pro-gouvenementale condamnant la Hongrie pour l’extradition du
meurtrier de l’Armenien Gurgen Markarian. La declaration, adoptee a
la quasi unanimite, soutient la decision d’Erevan de suspendre les
relations diplomatiques avec Budapest et prevoit le gel des liens
armeno-hongrois interparlementaires. La declaration accuse egalement
l’Azerbaïdjan de torpiller les efforts internationaux visant a resoudre
pacifiquement le conflit du Haut-Karabakh. Le document a ete adopte
après plusieurs heures de discussions passionnees. Les deputes de
l’opposition ont accuse le gouvernement d’etre responsable de la
liberation de Safarov.

L’ancien ministre des Affaires etrangères Vartan Oskanian a ete
particulièrement cinglant. ” Quelqu’un peut-il m’expliquer pourquoi
cela fait 15 jours que la communaute hongroise d’origine armenienne a
alerte nos autorites a propos de l’ extradition imminente de Safarov
et que les autorites n’aient rien fait ? Je suis persuade que si nous
avions fait il y a deux semaines ce que nous venons de faire, Safarov
serait dans sa cellule de prison aujourd’hui “, a declare Oskanian,
qui etait ministre des Affaires etrangères lorsque l’affaire Safarov
a eu lieu en 2004.

Levon Zurabian, le chef du groupe parlementaire du Congrès National
Armenien (HAK), a fait une remarque similaire. ” Les autorites
armeniennes n’assument pas la responsabilite de ce qui s’est passe
parce qu’ils ont echoue a prendre des mesures preventives. Le
gouvernement aurait dû soulever la question avec les autorites
hongroises ainsi que les co-presidents du Groupe de Minsk de l’OSCE,
l’Union europeenne et d’autres organisations internationales… Cela
aurait pu eviter la liberation de Safarov ces derniers jours “,
a-t-il dit.

Repondant aux differents critiques, le ministre des Affaires etrangères
Edouard Nalbandian a declare que les representants de l’Etat hongrois
ont a plusieurs reprises assure que Safarov ne serait pas libere. ”
Afin d’avoir la confirmation de ces assurances, nous avons soumis
une demande ecrite aux autorites hongroises “, a dit Nalbandian. ”
Il est naturel desormais que le gouvernement hongrois ne soit pas
capable de trouver une explication coherente a ce dramatique coup de
theâtre “, a-t-il ajoute.

Naira Zohrabian, une autre depute du BHK, a rejete ces arguments. Elle
a cite un chef de file de la communaute armenienne de Hongrie,
Nikoghayos Hakobian, qui avait annonce que les dirigeants avaient
prevenu que Safarov serait bel et bien envoye en Azerbaïdjan. Hakobian
a confirme cette information.

Alexander Arzoumanian, un autre ancien ministre etranger representant
le parti Democrates libres, a egalement critique le ministère armenien
des Affaires etrangères lors du debat parlementaire. Malgre les vives
critiques, l’opposition a decide de soutenir la declaration presentee
par le groupe parlementaire du Parti republicain du president Serge
Sarkissian (HHK). Zurabian a affirme que l’Armenie doit maintenant
mettre de côte ses differents politiques et agir pour une cause
commune.

MANIFESTATION DE PROTESTATION A BUDAPEST DEVANT L’EDIFICE DU PARLEMENT
Jean Eckian

armenews.com

mercredi 5 septembre 2012

Plusieurs milliers de Hongrois se sont rassembles mardi a Budapest
devant le Palais du Parlement, fustigeant le Premier ministre Viktor
Orban après qu’il ait autorise, le 31 août dernier, d’extrader,
sur l’insistance d’Aliev le criminel azerbaïdjanais, Ramil Safarov,
coupable d’avoir assassine dans son sommeil le lieutenant armenien
Gourgen Margaryan a coup de hache (2004). Condamne a la prison a vie,
l’Azerbaïdjan a accueilli son boucher tel un heros sur son sol. Le
dictateur Aliev lui-meme avait fait afficher sur sa page Facebook la
photo de Safarov pendant deux jours.

Lors de la manifestation des discours ont ete prononces, critiquant
vertement le gouvernement pour avoir vendu la conscience et l’honneur
de la nation Hongroise. “Ce sale gouvernement devrait demissionner”,
entendait-on, tandis que des pancartes indiquaient “l’Honneur des
Hongrois n’est pas a vendre !”, s’excusant auprès de l’Armenie.

A la suite de cet incident, l’Armenie a suspendu ses relations
diplomatiques avec la Hongrie.

Dans plusieurs pays les communautes armeniennes ont organise des
journees de protestations indignees devant les consulats et ambassades
de Hongrie.

La Hongrie a declare avoir agi en conformite avec le droit
international et que l’Azerbaïdjan avait promis de respecter la
peine de Safarov. Alors que les deux pays etaient en pourparlers pour
renforcer les liens economiques, ceux-ci n’etaient en aucune manière
liee a la liberation du soldat, indique une source gouvernementale.

Vive preoccupation au plan international. Des acteurs du Groupe
de Minsk en passant par l’Union europeenne, la Russie et les Etats
Unis, on redoute un regain de tension dans la region, alors que les
negociations semblent figees entre Erevan et Bakou sur la question
du conflit du Haut Karabakh.

EU’S SCHULZ ‘DISTURBED’ BY AZERBAIJAN’S PARDON OF AXE KILLER

Agence France Presse
September 4, 2012 Tuesday 2:52 PM GMT

European Parliament head Martin Schulz expressed horror Tuesday after
Azerbaijan brushed aside criticism of its pardon for a soldier who
axed an Armenian officer to death in his sleep.

Schulz added his voice to condemnation of the pardon — already sharply
criticised by the US and EU President Herman Van Rompuy — after Baku’s
foreign minister appeared to blame Yerevan for Azerbaijani soldier
Ramil Safarov’s 2004 killing of Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian.

In a move that has ratcheted up tensions between the ex-Soviet foes,
Azerbaijan pardoned Safarov last week after he was extradited from
Hungary, where he had been serving a life sentence for the murder.

“The convention on the transfer of sentenced people should not be
abused for political purpose,” Schulz said in a statement.

“I am disturbed by what appears to be a politically motivated pardon
of Mr Safarov by the president of Azerbaijan,” he added, while urging
Azerbaijan and Armenia “to avoid any moves and statements that might
exacerbate the situation.”

Safarov hacked Margarian to death in his sleep at a military academy
in Budapest where the servicemen were attending English-language
courses organised by NATO.

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

Earlier Tuesday, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov
told US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns that the murder was
“directly related” to the war.

“Ramil Safarov and his family, like a million other Azerbaijanis,
are forced refugees and as a result of ethnic cleansing, they were
expelled from their homes. First of all, this must be taken into
account,” Mammadyarov said.

The US State Department has said it is “extremely troubled” by
the pardon.

AXE MURDER COMPLICATES EU-AZERBAIJAN LOVE AFFAIR

EUobserver.com
September 3, 2012 Monday 7:26 PM GMT

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

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 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 embarasses 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 who used to advise the
Pentagon and the CIA, told this website.

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

HUNGARY, AZERBAIJAN DECISIONS RUN COUNTER GLOBAL EFFORTS – FM

ITAR-TASS
September 3, 2012 Monday 04:27 PM GMT+4
Russia

Decisions taken by Azerbaijan and Hungary towards a serviceman,
who killed an Armenian officer, run counter international efforts,
the Russian Foreign Ministry reported on Monday.

“Russia, which is co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group for
Nagorno-Karabakh, voices deep concern about reports saying Baku
granted pardon to serviceman Ramil Safarov, who was sentenced to
life by the Hungarian court for killing an Armenian officer in 2004,”
the ministry said.

“We believe that the actions taken by the Azerbaijani and Hungarian
authorities run counter the efforts coordinated at the international
level, primarily within the OSCE Minsk Group, in order to ease tension
in the region,” the ministry said.

Moscow hope that the co-chairmen of the OSCE Minsk Group “will give
a corresponding assessment on the situation”, the ministry said.

STATEMENT OF OFFICIAL REP OF MFA OF RUSSIA, REGARDING EXTRADITION OF AZERBAIJAN SOLDIER BY HUNGARY

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
Sept 3 2012

In Russia, which is the co-chairman of the OSCE Minsk Group on
the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict settlement, received reports with
deep concern regarding the clemency of Baku Azeri serviceman Ramil
Safarov, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for the commission
of the murder of an Armenian officer with an extreme atrocity in
Hungary in the 2004, as well as regarding the preceded decision of
the Hungarian authorities to extradite him to Azerbaijan.

We believe that these actions of Azerbaijan, as well as the Hungarian
authorities to run counter to the efforts agreed at international
level, particularly through the OSCE Minsk Group, directed to reduce
tension in the region.

We also expect that appropriate assessment of the situation will be
given by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group in the near future.

AZERBAIJANI RULING PARTY: ARMENIA’S RECOGNITION OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH WOULD BE DEATH SENTENCE FOR MINSK GROUP

Vestnik Kavkaza
Sept 5 2012
Russia

The Armenian leadership through parliament is trying to plunge into
an adventure, which could bring tensions in the South Caucasus to
a dangerous level. The formal reason is supposedly a pardon issued
by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev for officer Ramil Safarov,
Deputy Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party Ali Ahmedov told the
party’s website on Wednesday.

He said the president’s decree to pardon is fully consistent with
both the relevant international agreements and national legislation.

“I think that now the focus of the international community and
international organizations should be a statement of the Armenian
terrorist organization ASALA on the mass extermination of Azerbaijani
and Turkish diplomats,” Ahmedov said.

Touching on the issue of submitting the issue of recognition of
Nagorno-Karabakh for discussion in the Armenian parliament, Ahmedov
said that this step would actually be a death sentence to the Minsk
Group.

“I do not think to take care of the Minsk Group. This group has done
nothing for 20 years, but this ‘inaction’ works in favor of Armenia,”
Ahmedov said.

NATO’S RASMUSSEN DELAYS ARMENIA VISIT DUE TO FLIGHT ISSUES

Agenzia Giornalistica Italia

Sept 5 2012

(AGI) Brussels – The flight taking NATO Secretary General Anders
Fogh Rasmussen to Armenia was forced to return to Brussels. Rasmussen
reported “technical reasons” for the flight’s rerouting, adding that
“despite delays” he will follow through with his two-day commitments
in Erevan – including meetings with Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan,
with Foreign and Defence Ministers, and at Erevan University. . .