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AYF Demands Justice for Slain Soldier
Saturday, September 1st, 2012
by Asbarez
Protest Against Azeri and Hungarian Consulates in Los Angeles
Scheduled for September 6
The Armenian Youth Federation will protest against the extradition and
pardoning of an Azerbaijani soldier responsible for brutally murdering
an Armenian military officer 8 years ago during NATO military
exercises in Hungary. The protest will take place on Thursday,
September 6th at 3PM at the Azerbaijani and Hungarian Consulates-both
located at 11766 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 410, Los Angeles, California
90025. You can join the event on Facebook by clicking here.
Below is the official statement released by the AYF regarding the issue:
The Armenian Youth Federation, Western Region expresses its outrage
with the immoral and irresponsible decision of the Hungarian
Government to extradite a cold-blooded murderer, Ramil Safarov,
responsible for the axing of an Armenian Army lieutenant, Gurgen
Margaryan in Budapest on February 19, 2004. We strongly condemn the
hate-driven actions of the Azeri Government, which not only pardoned
this criminal but also gave him a hero's welcome.
In 2006, the Hungarian court found Safarov guilty of murdering Lt.
Margaryan and sentenced him to life imprisonment without the
possibility of parole. His immediate release, justified by the
Hungarian Government by references to the 1983 Strasbourg Convention
on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, has allowed the murderer to
escape just punishment and instead be treated as a national hero in
Azerbaijan.
Officials in Budapest could not have been unaware of the fact that the
above mentioned Convention contains a clause which allows the
receiving country to issue pardons to transferred prisoners. Given the
circumstances, it becomes obvious that the Hungarian Government has
chosen to disregard morality and justice in exchange for Azeri
petrodollars and the friendly disposition of the corrupt regime in
Baku.
This decision is even more deplorable due to the fact that despite the
assurances from Azerbaijan that Safarov's sentence would not be
commuted, the brutal criminal was immediately pardoned by President
Ilham Aliyev and was greeted as a national hero upon his return to
Baku. Once again, we witnessed the lionization of those who preach
hatred towards Armenians by the Azeri society, which is consistent
with the antagonistic and xenophobic policies of the Government of
Azerbaijan.
We condemn these actions of both the Government of Hungary and the
corrupt regime in Baku. We demand an apology from the Hungarian
Government and ask for the rescission of their immoral decision on
extradition. From the Azeri Government, we demand a reversal of the
pardon and an immediate imprisonment of Ramil Safarov. We call upon
the Armenian community of Southern California to join us in expressing
our anger and demanding justice by participating in a protest in front
of the Azeri and Hungarian Consulates in Los Angeles (11766 Wilshire
Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025) on Thursday, September 6th at 3PM.
Saturday, September 1st, 2012
by Asbarez
Protest Against Azeri and Hungarian Consulates in Los Angeles
Scheduled for September 6
The Armenian Youth Federation will protest against the extradition and
pardoning of an Azerbaijani soldier responsible for brutally murdering
an Armenian military officer 8 years ago during NATO military
exercises in Hungary. The protest will take place on Thursday,
September 6th at 3PM at the Azerbaijani and Hungarian Consulates-both
located at 11766 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 410, Los Angeles, California
90025. You can join the event on Facebook by clicking here.
Below is the official statement released by the AYF regarding the issue:
The Armenian Youth Federation, Western Region expresses its outrage
with the immoral and irresponsible decision of the Hungarian
Government to extradite a cold-blooded murderer, Ramil Safarov,
responsible for the axing of an Armenian Army lieutenant, Gurgen
Margaryan in Budapest on February 19, 2004. We strongly condemn the
hate-driven actions of the Azeri Government, which not only pardoned
this criminal but also gave him a hero's welcome.
In 2006, the Hungarian court found Safarov guilty of murdering Lt.
Margaryan and sentenced him to life imprisonment without the
possibility of parole. His immediate release, justified by the
Hungarian Government by references to the 1983 Strasbourg Convention
on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, has allowed the murderer to
escape just punishment and instead be treated as a national hero in
Azerbaijan.
Officials in Budapest could not have been unaware of the fact that the
above mentioned Convention contains a clause which allows the
receiving country to issue pardons to transferred prisoners. Given the
circumstances, it becomes obvious that the Hungarian Government has
chosen to disregard morality and justice in exchange for Azeri
petrodollars and the friendly disposition of the corrupt regime in
Baku.
This decision is even more deplorable due to the fact that despite the
assurances from Azerbaijan that Safarov's sentence would not be
commuted, the brutal criminal was immediately pardoned by President
Ilham Aliyev and was greeted as a national hero upon his return to
Baku. Once again, we witnessed the lionization of those who preach
hatred towards Armenians by the Azeri society, which is consistent
with the antagonistic and xenophobic policies of the Government of
Azerbaijan.
We condemn these actions of both the Government of Hungary and the
corrupt regime in Baku. We demand an apology from the Hungarian
Government and ask for the rescission of their immoral decision on
extradition. From the Azeri Government, we demand a reversal of the
pardon and an immediate imprisonment of Ramil Safarov. We call upon
the Armenian community of Southern California to join us in expressing
our anger and demanding justice by participating in a protest in front
of the Azeri and Hungarian Consulates in Los Angeles (11766 Wilshire
Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025) on Thursday, September 6th at 3PM.