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AZG Armenian Daily #106, 10/06/2005
Armenian pilots released
CREW CAPTAIN ASHOT KARAPETIAN: WE HAD NO HOPE TO GET OUT OF THAT HELL
Armenian Captives of Equatorial Guinea Returning Home Tomorrow
Six Armenian pilots jailed for 14-24 years at notorious Black Beach prison
of Equatorial Guinea are coming back home tomorrow. Crew captain Ashot
Karapetian, second pilot Samvel Darbinian, navigator Samvel Matchkalian,
flight engineers Razmik Khachatrian, Suren Muradian and Ashot Simonian were
released on June 8.
After a night at a hotel in capital city of Malabo, our pilots, who spent 15
months in the prison of this authoritarian country, will return home via
Zurich and Moscow. In a phone conversation with daily Azg from Malabo
captain Ashot Karapetian said that all crewmembers are in normal health and
thanked all those who spared no effort to get them out from the Black Beach.
"We are very thankful to Catholicos of All Armenians, Ara Abrahamian, Robert
Kocharian and the Armenian nation. We are saved from captivity at the cost
of their great efforts. One should know the morals and manners of that
country to understand our situation. It's not important in this country
whether one is guilty or not", Karapetian said.
The captain confirmed once again that all of the pilots are enjoying good
health, "We've misses Yerevan; counting minutes". The Armenian crew together
with citizens from other countries was convicted of a coup attempt in
Equatorial Guinea to overthrow the president.
Andranik Mihranian and Karen Galstian, representatives of chairman of World
Armenian Congress Ara Abrahamian left for Malabo bring the pilots back.
Informing daily Azg from Malabo, Mihranian said that the pilots had caught
malaria and the disease was not stamped out completely.
"They faces expressed joy, they were surprised, annoyed somehow dispirited
because the 15 months in jail left its trace", Mihranian said. Abrahamian's
representatives met the pilots at the entrance of Justice Ministry. "When we
were in one room with the deputy prime minister and the ministers of
security and justice, the first word captain Karapetian uttered was that
they had no connection with coup d'etat attempt. He said that they are not
guilty therefore they have not compromised Armenia", Mihranian said.
"The Justice minister, who kept the passports of the pilots, was waiting for
our visit. There was an agreement for releasing the Armenian pilots but
talks between Ara Abrahamian and Guinean ambassador to Moscow carried on
till the last moment. The ambassador is the son-in-law of the country's
president and he was the main mediator. In Malabo the security minister, the
president Ngumena's uncle, was in charge. The fate of Armenian pilots was
mainly in their hands and we negotiated with them", Mihranian said.
Mihranian did not want, as he said, to open the brackets over the phone
because "it's a sensitive issue, perhaps we can say more later on". "The
security minister reminded that there was a number agreements between the
ambassador and Mr. Abrahamian and asked how they are proceeding. We said
that they are in force and were primarily fulfilled. At the justice
minister's office we met the representative of RA Foreign Ministry who
arrived in Malabo to validate the extradition. Guinean authorities would
gladly hand the Armenian pilots over to us but considering the fact that
they were Armenian citizens had to observe the official side", Mihranian
said.
On Behalf of Ara Abrahamian Mihranian thanked President Nguema and the
high-ranking officials. In my speech I said that the process of the pilots'
release was the result of great work that was carried out by the chairman of
World Armenian Congress who created favorable and necessary conditions for
the release. The Pope's letter, interference of top UN officials, the letter
of Russia's foreign minister created the political ground for the President
of Equatorial Guinea to grant the pardon", Mihranian said.
By Tatoul Hakobian
Armenian pilots released
CREW CAPTAIN ASHOT KARAPETIAN: WE HAD NO HOPE TO GET OUT OF THAT HELL
Armenian Captives of Equatorial Guinea Returning Home Tomorrow
Six Armenian pilots jailed for 14-24 years at notorious Black Beach prison
of Equatorial Guinea are coming back home tomorrow. Crew captain Ashot
Karapetian, second pilot Samvel Darbinian, navigator Samvel Matchkalian,
flight engineers Razmik Khachatrian, Suren Muradian and Ashot Simonian were
released on June 8.
After a night at a hotel in capital city of Malabo, our pilots, who spent 15
months in the prison of this authoritarian country, will return home via
Zurich and Moscow. In a phone conversation with daily Azg from Malabo
captain Ashot Karapetian said that all crewmembers are in normal health and
thanked all those who spared no effort to get them out from the Black Beach.
"We are very thankful to Catholicos of All Armenians, Ara Abrahamian, Robert
Kocharian and the Armenian nation. We are saved from captivity at the cost
of their great efforts. One should know the morals and manners of that
country to understand our situation. It's not important in this country
whether one is guilty or not", Karapetian said.
The captain confirmed once again that all of the pilots are enjoying good
health, "We've misses Yerevan; counting minutes". The Armenian crew together
with citizens from other countries was convicted of a coup attempt in
Equatorial Guinea to overthrow the president.
Andranik Mihranian and Karen Galstian, representatives of chairman of World
Armenian Congress Ara Abrahamian left for Malabo bring the pilots back.
Informing daily Azg from Malabo, Mihranian said that the pilots had caught
malaria and the disease was not stamped out completely.
"They faces expressed joy, they were surprised, annoyed somehow dispirited
because the 15 months in jail left its trace", Mihranian said. Abrahamian's
representatives met the pilots at the entrance of Justice Ministry. "When we
were in one room with the deputy prime minister and the ministers of
security and justice, the first word captain Karapetian uttered was that
they had no connection with coup d'etat attempt. He said that they are not
guilty therefore they have not compromised Armenia", Mihranian said.
"The Justice minister, who kept the passports of the pilots, was waiting for
our visit. There was an agreement for releasing the Armenian pilots but
talks between Ara Abrahamian and Guinean ambassador to Moscow carried on
till the last moment. The ambassador is the son-in-law of the country's
president and he was the main mediator. In Malabo the security minister, the
president Ngumena's uncle, was in charge. The fate of Armenian pilots was
mainly in their hands and we negotiated with them", Mihranian said.
Mihranian did not want, as he said, to open the brackets over the phone
because "it's a sensitive issue, perhaps we can say more later on". "The
security minister reminded that there was a number agreements between the
ambassador and Mr. Abrahamian and asked how they are proceeding. We said
that they are in force and were primarily fulfilled. At the justice
minister's office we met the representative of RA Foreign Ministry who
arrived in Malabo to validate the extradition. Guinean authorities would
gladly hand the Armenian pilots over to us but considering the fact that
they were Armenian citizens had to observe the official side", Mihranian
said.
On Behalf of Ara Abrahamian Mihranian thanked President Nguema and the
high-ranking officials. In my speech I said that the process of the pilots'
release was the result of great work that was carried out by the chairman of
World Armenian Congress who created favorable and necessary conditions for
the release. The Pope's letter, interference of top UN officials, the letter
of Russia's foreign minister created the political ground for the President
of Equatorial Guinea to grant the pardon", Mihranian said.
By Tatoul Hakobian