Author: nina hovnanian

Global Times, China
Sept 1 2012

US concerned about pardoning of Azerbaijani officer

Xinhua | 2012-9-1 9:36:58
By Agencies

The United States on Friday expressed “deep concern” about
Azerbaijan’s pardoning of army officer Ramil Safarov after he was
transferred from a Hungarian jail, a move that prompted Armenia to
break off diplomatic ties with Hungary.

“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,” State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said in a
statement.

Safarov, 35, had been serving a life sentence in a Hungarian jail for
murdering Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan during a 2004 NATO
training event in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. He was given a
life sentence in 2006 by a Hungarian court.

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

Armenia responded by cutting off diplomatic ties with Hungary, as the
Central Asian nation is still in conflict with Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a region that lies within Azerbaijan but has been
controlled by Armenian troops and ethnic forces since a separatist war
broke out in 1988.

Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a cease-fire agreement in 1994 but the
conflict has never been truly settled despite mediation by the Minsk
Group of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe that
was co-chaired by France, Russia and the United States.

“We condemn any action that fuels regional tensions,” said Ventrell.

Politics.hu, Humgary
Sept 1 2012

Armenia cuts ties with Hungary over Azerbaijan killer pardon

Armenia says it is severing diplomatic ties with Hungary after the
release of an Azeri army officer convicted of murdering an Armenian
soldier. The Azeri serviceman, Ramil Safarov, was given a life
sentence for hacking Armenian Gurgen Markarian to death with an axe in
2004 in Budapest.

The Hungarian authorities said they had returned Safarov to his
homeland only after receiving assurances from the Baku government that
his sentence would be enforced.

SouthCoastToday.com, MA
Sept 1 2012

BookLovers: Bohjalian plumbs Armenian heritage for gripping novel

By Lauren Daley
BookLovers

Chances are you know about the Holocaust during World War II. But
chances are you don’t know much at all about the Armenian Genocide
during World War I.

I sure didn’t.

That’s one reason I found “The Sandcastle Girls,” by New York Times
bestselling novelist Chris Bohjalian, absolutely fascinating:

Syria, 1915. World War I is raging across Europe, and

Elizabeth Endicott, a wealthy young woman from Boston, has arrived in
Aleppo with a fresh diploma from Mount Holyoke College, a crash course
in nursing, and only the most basic grasp of the Armenian language.

When she volunteers to

deliver food and medical aid to refugees of the Armenian gen-ocide,
Elizabeth becomes friendly with Armen, a young Armenian engineer who
has already lost his wife and infant daughter. When Armen leaves to
join the British Army in Egypt, he writes Elizabeth letters, and comes
to realize that he has fallen in love with the young American.

Flash forward to 2012:

Laura, a novel-ist in New York, has never given her Armenian

heritage much thought. But when an old friend calls, claiming to have
seen a newspaper photo of Laura’s grandmother promoting an exhibit at
a Boston museum, Laura embarks on a journey back through her family’s
history that reveals love, loss – and a wrenching secret that has been
buried for generations.

Bohjalian, of Vermont, is, like his character Laura, a novelist of
Armenian descent. He has published 15 books, many of them bestsellers,
including “Midwives,” “The Double Bind,” and “Skeletons at the Feast.”

I caught up with him recently.

Lauren: How’d you get the idea for “The Sandcastle Girls”?

Chris: I had been contemplating a novel about the Genocide for most of
my adult life. I actually tried to write one in the early 1990s,
between “Water Witches” and “Midwives.” But it was a train wreck of a
book. I’m not kidding. It was unbelievably amateurish.

In 2009, my Armenian father grew ill. He lived in South Florida and I
live in Vermont. When I would visit him, we would pore over old family
photos together and I pressed him for details about his parents – who
were survivors from western Turkey. I also asked him for stories from
his childhood; after all, he was the son of immigrants who spoke a
language that can only be called exotic in Westchester County in the
1930s.

Finally, a good friend of mine, Khatchig Mouradian, who is a
journalist and Genocide scholar, urged me to try once again to write a
novel about what is, clearly, the most important part of my family’s
history. So I did try again. And this time, the story came together.

Lauren: You’ve said Laura is a fictional version of yourself.

Chris: Yes, she’s an Armenian-American novelist at mid-life who, at
the start of the novel, is woefully unfamiliar with her Armenian
ancestry. Likewise, her childhood was my childhood. Her grandparents’
house was my grandparents’ house. And, yes, I was that fat little boy
in red velvet knickers singing Herman’s Hermits with a bad British
accent at the start of the novel. I sure loved my Armenian
grandparents – and I know they sure loved me.

Lauren: Have you gone searching for your roots and family tree like Laura?

Chris: I have not gone searching. My grandparents took much of their
stories to their graves. But since the novel was published, I’ve heard
from dozens of people around the world who think we might be related.

Lauren: Did you travel to Syria or Armenia?

Chris: I went to Lebanon and Armenia. The Syrian civil war precluded
me from traveling there. I was deeply moved in both countries –
particularly in Anjar, Lebanon, where the survivors of Musa Dagh were
resettled. And although I do not speak Armenian, never have I felt
less like a stranger in a strange land than when I was in Yerevan. I
absolutely loved Armenia.

Lauren: You’re a New York native, but you say you “found your voice”
in Vermont. What do you mean?

Chris: Well, I got a moral compass for starters. Living in a town of
less than a thousand people will do that. And I found stories that
interested me and weren’t being told – tales of people at the social
margins pressing against the mainstream: Dowsers. Midwives.
Homeopaths. The Transgendered.

Lauren: What do you want readers to take away from this book?

Chris: I know in my heart that this is the most important book I’ll
ever write. I hope readers come away from it moved; I hope they will
miss the characters and savor every moment of Armen and Elizabeth’s
love story; and I hope they will come away with a knowledge of the
Armenian Genocide – what my narrator calls “the Slaughter You Know
Next to Nothing About.”

Lauren Daley wants to learn more about her family tree, too. Contact
her at [email protected].

EuroNews, France
Sept 1 2012

Armenia cuts diplomatic ties with Hungary over freed prisoner

01/09 15:03 CET

Armenia has broken off diplomatic ties with Hungary over its decision
to send home an Azeri army officer convicted of murdering an Armenian
soldier.

Gurgen Markarian was killed with an axe by Ramil Saforov when they
were both undergoing NATO training in Hungary. Saforov was given a
life sentence but was this week flown to his home country where he was
released.

Hungarian authorities said they had received assurances from
Azerbaijian that he would serve out his jail term there. During
Saforov’s trial, he said that nationalist insults were at the root of
the crime.

Azerbaijian and Armenia, both former Soviet republics, fought a war in
the early 90s over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian-backed
authorities currently control the area following a 1994 ceasefire, but
relations between the two countries have remained tense since then.

Mediamax, Armenia
Sept 1 2012

MFA: Armenia already notified Hungary about the decision to suspend
diplomatic relations

Yerevan/Mediamax/. Armenian MFA stated it has already notified Hungary
about the decision to suspend diplomatic relations.

The statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia reads this.

`On 31 August, 2012 the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice
of Hungary has announced about its authorization to transfer Ramil
Sahib Safarov, an Azerbaijani national imprisoned in Hungary since 19
February 2004, sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Gurgen
Margaryan, an Armenian national, to Azerbaijan. In adopting such
decision, the Ministry referred to the Strasburg Convention on the
Transfer of Sentenced Persons.

The transfer of Ramil Sahib Safarov has been executed without delay.
Furthermore, President of Azerbaijan has issued a decree granting
pardon to Ramil Sahib Safarov, who already enjoys freedom in
Azerbaijan.

Ramil Sahib Safarov has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the
Courts of Hungary for committing an act of murder against Gurgen
Margaryan, an Armenian national. Both Safarov and Margaryan have been
visiting Budapest to participate in a NATO PfP language training
course. While the Government of Hungary as the host state, has failed
to ensure the security of the Armenian participant at an international
event on its territory, its law enforcement institutions and Courts
have acted promptly to bring the perpetrator to justice.

The Government of Hungary has been informed on numerous occasions by
the authorities of Armenia about the environment of glorification and
justification of the murderous act of Ramil Sahib Safarov, cultivated
in Azerbaijan at official level, including the level of President of
Azerbaijan. The Government of Hungary could not have failed to note
the numerous public statements of the Azerbaijani officials at
different levels to this effect, which should have been sufficient
grounds for the doubt about the continuation of the enforcement of the
sentence in Azerbaijan. Therefore, the Government of Hungary should
have foreseen the implications of its decision to transfer Ramil Sahib
Safarov, which effectively resulted in the termination of serving
justice by a perpetrator of a murderous act. The Government of Hungary
therefore shares moral responsibility for sponsoring a grave criminal
act.

The Government of Hungary, at different levels, including the highest,
have consistently and up until the last moment assured the Government
of Armenia that it will not take any steps whatsoever, which would
result in the termination of serving justice by the perpetrator of a
heinous murder and explicitly excluded any option for the execution of
the transfer. The manner, in which the Government of Hungary has acted
in respect of this matter, is also a cause for a deep regret.

Armenia considers the above decision of the Government of Hungary as
an unfriendly act, undermining the good co-operative relations between
Armenia and Hungary. Today the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia
notified the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary about the decision
of the Government of Armenia to suspend diplomatic relations between
the two states’, the statement says.

States News Service
August 31, 2012 Friday

PALLONE STATEMENT CONDEMNING AZERBAIJANI PRESIDENT’S PARDON OF
CONVICTED MURDERER, RAMIL SAFAROV CALLS ON AZERBAIJAN TO CARRY OUT
JUSTICE AND REVERSE ITS ACTIONS

LONG BRANCH, N.J.

The following information was released by the office of New Jersey
Rep. Frank Pallone Jr.:

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), co-chair of the Congressional
Armenian Issues Caucus, today issued the following statement
condemning the Azerbaijani Government’s pardon of Azerbaijani military
officer Ramil Safarov, who was sentenced to life in prison in Hungary
for murdering an Armenian officer in 2004. He was sent back to his
homeland and immediately pardoned and freed by Azerbaijan’s president:

“I am outraged by the reckless actions taken by the government of
Azerbaijan in freeing Ramil Safarov, an Azerbaijani soldier who
brutally murdered an unarmed Armenian soldier during a NATO-sponsored
training program in Hungary. It is extremely egregious that the
President of Azerbaijan has issued a decree granting pardon to a
convicted murderer and has allowed him to walk free despite his
conviction.

“These are not the actions of a government that is dedicated to
justice and peace. Unfortunately, the actions taken by Azerbaijan only
further confirm their desire to facilitate and condone violence
against Armenia and its people.

“I believe that the United States government should stand in
solidarity with the Armenian government in condemning the actions of
the governments of Azerbaijan. Further, I call upon the Azerbaijani
government to acknowledge Ramil Safarov as a convicted murderer and
immediately take action commensurate with a democratic nation that
supports justice under the rule of law.”

Petition calling Hungarian government to apologize appears on Internet

September 02, 2012 | 00:01

YEREVAN. – An online-petition demanding the Hungarian Government to
apologize for having released the murderer, sentenced for life in
jail, who was released to Azerbaijan appears in Internet, Nouvelles
d’Arménie reports.

`Safarov will not serve his punishment term in Azerbaijan. Moreover,
the murderer was met in Baku as a national hero. It is insulting
justice and the memory of the murdered Armenian lieutenant Gurgen
Margaryan and must prompt everybody to sign the petition addressed to
the Hungarian Government,’ the petition author stated.

Armenian News-NEWS.am reported earlier that Ramil Safarov, a
lieutenant of the Azerbaijani army, 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 in Budapest back in 2004.

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.

Armenia’s President Serzh Sargsyan announced Friday that Armenia is
suspending its diplomatic ties with Hungary. Armenia is holding
various protest actions for the second day organized by different
organizations. In addition, the Hungarian flag was burnt in front of
the Hungarian Consulate in Armenia as a protest action.

ANCA calls on Obama to condemn Baku’s step

`43
17:37 . 01/09

The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) sent a letter to US
President Barack Obama urging to slam Baku’s step -the release of
criminal Ramil Safarov.

ANCA’s letter states that Gurgen Margaryan was murdered in Hungary
during a NATO training. Ramil Safarov sentenced to death for the
murder was released by one decree of Aliyev in Azerbaijan despite the
fact that Hungarian authorities had promised he would continue serving
his sentence in Azerbaijani prison.

ANCA also sent a letter of protest to the Hungarian Embassy located
near Washington, at the same time urging Armenians to send such
complaints to the Hungarian Embassy and urges to Obama. The phone
number of the Hungarian Embassy in the US is: (202) 362-6730 and the
internet address is: [email protected].

`Axe’ diplomacy has been formed in Azerbaijan

13:28, 1 September, 2012

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 1, ARMENPRESS: Instead of granting a rank of mayor
to Ramil Safarov he had to become at least a marshal as for the
murderer millions of dollars have been spent. During the talk with
Armenpress such opinion expressed the head of Central Information
Department of the Office of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic President
David Babayan. “New type of diplomacy has been formed in Azerbaijan
which has the commitment to kill with an axe sleeping Armenians than
to be released from the jail with the help of money. This shows not
the strength but the weakness of Azerbaijan” said Babayan.

In his words a good soldier can not murder sleeping opponent. “It
speaks once more about the fact that Azerbaijan can not only struggle
in short-term but also in long-term war” noticed Babayan.

Azerbaijani Defence Minister Safar Abiyev on September 1 granted a
rank of mayor to Ramil Safarov.

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.

Serzh Sargsyan admits his failure – Farhad Mammadov

Sat 01 September 2012 07:10 GMT | 8:10 Local Time

Farhad Mammadov

‘The reaction of the Armenian authorities to the extradition and
subsequent amnesty of Ramil Safarov bordered on hysteria’, Farhad
Mammadov, Director of the Center for Strategic Researches, said that
while commenting on the recent remarks of the Armenian president.
`A meeting of the Security Council of Armenia and a 5-minute nervous
speech by President Serzh Sargsyan at the meeting with the ambassadors
of UN member states demonstrated that Sargsyan actually admitted his
failure. With his actions and statements Sargsyan showed that Armenia
is not able to withstand the active foreign policy of Azerbaijan.

Also, it is a serious signal to those who rely on the power of the
Armenian diaspora. After the failure of the issue of denial of the
so-called “Armenian genocide” in the Constitutional Council of France,
this step of the Hungarian authorities was a serious blow to the
influence of the Armenian diaspora.

Ramil Safarov’s return is a signal for Armenia, as the country has no
leverage of pressure because of its weakness and vulnerability. I
think Hungary won’t be particularly upset with the fact of freezing
diplomatic relations with Armenia. However, the Hungarian authorities
and the public will feel the brunt of Armenian propaganda at the world
level, Hungary will face the most absurd and smeary accusations.
Admittedly, Armenians are best at it. I think that Hungary would have
to raise the level of threat of terrorist attack, as the EU visa-free
space is home to over half a million Armenians, potentially ready to
commit a terror attack.

At the meeting with the ambassadors the Armenian president urged his
partners to take “unique action”, but what actions could it be? Which
country will spoil its relations with Hungary because of Armenia?

Serzh Sargsyan apparently realized this since after this call, he
pronounced a phrase with a hint of blackmail: “We will judge the
attitude of our partners to the security of the Armenian people just
on the basis of actions in relation to what happened.”

A statement that “murder motivated by ethnic or religious hatred
cannot go unpunished” can be viewed as a peak of hypocrisy. It should
be recalled that the existence of a politician in the face of Serzh
Sargsyan as the president of Armenia is the most striking example of
impunity for the killing of hundreds of Azerbaijanis by Armenian thugs
led by Serzh Sargsyan during the ethnic cleansing in
Nagorno-Karabakh’, Mammadov said.

News.Az