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Aljazeera.com, Qatar
Sept 1 2012
Hero's welcome for axe murderer in Azerbaijan
A huge crowd has welcomed home a convicted axe murderer to the
Azerbaijan capital of Baku.
Azerbaijani lieutenant Ramil Safarov, who returned to Baku on Friday,
was jailed for life after hacking Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian to
death in 2004 at a military academy in Budapest where the servicemen
were attending English-language courses organised by NATO.
Budapest agreed to extradite Safarov to Azerbaijan, but he was was
pardoned shortly after returning to his homeland.
Hungary however said that Azerbaijan had promised that the soldier
would serve out the remainder of his sentence after his return home
and would not be freed.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued an order that killer Safarov
"should be freed from the term of his punishment" directly after he
arrived on a plane from Budapest.
The decision prompted harsh criticism and diplomatic action from
Armenia, a long-time enemy of neighbour Azerbaijan.
President Serzh Sarkisian of Armenia said on Friday, "I cannot put up
with this. The republic of Armenia cannot put up with this."
The country also severed its diplomatic ties with Hungary on Friday
but Azerbaijan defended its decision.
"Ramil Safarov was pardoned in accordance with the constitution and
laws of Azerbaijan and the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced
Persons," presidential administration official Fuad Alekserov said in
a statement.
Reinstated
In another move that will infuriate Armenia, Azerbaijan also
reinstated Safarov to the army and promoted him to the rank of major.
"Defence Minister Safar Abiyev received him, handed him his new rank
and wished him success in his future military service," a defence
ministry statement said.
Azerbaijan also hit back at US criticism, insisting that the pardon
awarded to Safarov after he had served eight years of his sentence
conformed with a European legal convention on extradition.
Tensions are strong between Armenia and Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan that has been under the
control of Armenian troops and ethnic Armenian forces since 1994.
About 150 demonstrators gathered in Yerevan Saturday to set the
Hungarian flag ablaze and demand an end to talks on resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/europe/2012/09/201291215548920251.html
From: Baghdasarian
Sept 1 2012
Hero's welcome for axe murderer in Azerbaijan
A huge crowd has welcomed home a convicted axe murderer to the
Azerbaijan capital of Baku.
Azerbaijani lieutenant Ramil Safarov, who returned to Baku on Friday,
was jailed for life after hacking Armenian officer Gurgen Margarian to
death in 2004 at a military academy in Budapest where the servicemen
were attending English-language courses organised by NATO.
Budapest agreed to extradite Safarov to Azerbaijan, but he was was
pardoned shortly after returning to his homeland.
Hungary however said that Azerbaijan had promised that the soldier
would serve out the remainder of his sentence after his return home
and would not be freed.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued an order that killer Safarov
"should be freed from the term of his punishment" directly after he
arrived on a plane from Budapest.
The decision prompted harsh criticism and diplomatic action from
Armenia, a long-time enemy of neighbour Azerbaijan.
President Serzh Sarkisian of Armenia said on Friday, "I cannot put up
with this. The republic of Armenia cannot put up with this."
The country also severed its diplomatic ties with Hungary on Friday
but Azerbaijan defended its decision.
"Ramil Safarov was pardoned in accordance with the constitution and
laws of Azerbaijan and the Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced
Persons," presidential administration official Fuad Alekserov said in
a statement.
Reinstated
In another move that will infuriate Armenia, Azerbaijan also
reinstated Safarov to the army and promoted him to the rank of major.
"Defence Minister Safar Abiyev received him, handed him his new rank
and wished him success in his future military service," a defence
ministry statement said.
Azerbaijan also hit back at US criticism, insisting that the pardon
awarded to Safarov after he had served eight years of his sentence
conformed with a European legal convention on extradition.
Tensions are strong between Armenia and Azerbaijan over
Nagorno-Karabakh, a region of Azerbaijan that has been under the
control of Armenian troops and ethnic Armenian forces since 1994.
About 150 demonstrators gathered in Yerevan Saturday to set the
Hungarian flag ablaze and demand an end to talks on resolving the
Nagorno-Karabakh issue.
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/europe/2012/09/201291215548920251.html
From: Baghdasarian