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Fruitless Eulogy, Or Why Safarov Made It Back to Azerbaijan
Armen Arakelyan
http://hetq.am/eng/opinion/18019/fruitless-eulogy-or-why-safarov-made-it-back-to-azerbaijan.html
01:34, September 1, 2012
The steps and declarations made by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
regarding the secret extradition of Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov
from Budapest to Baku, remind me of a eulogy at the gravesite of one that
has already died.
The bluster and bravado exhibited by Sargsyan at an assembly of the foreign
diplomatic corps inYerevan changes nothing on the ground - Ramil Safarov is
back in Azerbaijan and has been pardoned for his heinous crime.
The murderer of Gurgen Margaryan has become a living legend.
Safarov's safe return to his native country has less to do with any
conspiracy of Hungaryor Budapest's betrayal of the norms of justice, than it
does with the Armenian government's near total lack of pro-activity on the
issue.
Baku never attempted to conceal its ambition to get Safarov back. This was
apparent as far back as 2004-2006 when Safarov's murder trial was taking
place. The ever-growing possibility that Safarov would be extradited had
been raised by NGOs in Armenia and by attorneys for the Margaryan family.
They pointed out that Hungaryand Azerbaijan were taking steps towards closer
commercial and political ties.
All the while, officialYerevan had nothing to say on the unfolding matter
nor did it take specific steps to halt the process we have just witnessed.
In this context, President Sargsyan's directives are restricted to the
consequences of the incident; the man is attempting to put a brave face on
what has transpired in order to justify the inaction and short comings of
his own administration.
It's no accident that Sargsyan not only condemns the Hungarian government
for the extradition, justifiably viewing it as the consequence of a
political transaction, but he also severs all diplomatic relations and
contacts with Budapest.
Yes, after what has happened, it is vital to demand an explanation from
Budapest, especially about the secret extradition of the criminal.
But, for the most part,Hungary has done nothing that it can be held
accountable for in terms of international law. It has acted according to
international treaties it has signed on to, especially the 1983 Strasbourg
Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
This document permits it to conduct the extradition. It also allows Bakuto
free itself from carrying out the obligations imposed by the Hungarian
court.
All of this was well known in Armenia. This is the main neglected proof that
Hungary could one day take such a step.
So what is Sargsyan now demanding from the international community - mutual
understanding or pressure on Baku? And what will it give other than some
disillusioned steps at face-saving?
No one on the outside is really interested as to what will happen to
Safarov. I mean, no one was all that interested back in February 2004 right
after the murder; not even NATO.
After all, it was at a NATO military exercise that Margaryan was murdered
but the military alliance avoided any political evaluation, and thus, by
encouraging Baku's anti-Armenian stance and freeing the hands of member
state Hungary, facilitating the despicable transaction between the two some
eight years later.
It was this indifference that paved the way for Aliyev to make such
hysterical anti-Armenian statements at the opening session of Euronest a
few months later inBaku.
To construct your entire tactics only on the assurances of Europeans who
can't see beyond their noses means that one has not only failed to learn the
lessons of history, but that one has no diplomatic corps to speak of as well
as no national security or administrative network.
Instead,Armenias hould have crafted a comprehensive diplomatic, public
relations and political environment that would have made Hungaryt hink twice
before taking such a step and which would have prevented the United Nations,
NASTO, OSCE and especially the European Union from attempting to close their
eyes.
But it would seem that Armenia's authorities can only launch such a total PR
campaign and pressure against its own population.
When the issue comes down to inter-governmental relations and
politics,Armeniais transformed into a docile servant.
And we have seen the result.
Armen Arakelyan
http://hetq.am/eng/opinion/18019/fruitless-eulogy-or-why-safarov-made-it-back-to-azerbaijan.html
01:34, September 1, 2012
The steps and declarations made by Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan
regarding the secret extradition of Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Safarov
from Budapest to Baku, remind me of a eulogy at the gravesite of one that
has already died.
The bluster and bravado exhibited by Sargsyan at an assembly of the foreign
diplomatic corps inYerevan changes nothing on the ground - Ramil Safarov is
back in Azerbaijan and has been pardoned for his heinous crime.
The murderer of Gurgen Margaryan has become a living legend.
Safarov's safe return to his native country has less to do with any
conspiracy of Hungaryor Budapest's betrayal of the norms of justice, than it
does with the Armenian government's near total lack of pro-activity on the
issue.
Baku never attempted to conceal its ambition to get Safarov back. This was
apparent as far back as 2004-2006 when Safarov's murder trial was taking
place. The ever-growing possibility that Safarov would be extradited had
been raised by NGOs in Armenia and by attorneys for the Margaryan family.
They pointed out that Hungaryand Azerbaijan were taking steps towards closer
commercial and political ties.
All the while, officialYerevan had nothing to say on the unfolding matter
nor did it take specific steps to halt the process we have just witnessed.
In this context, President Sargsyan's directives are restricted to the
consequences of the incident; the man is attempting to put a brave face on
what has transpired in order to justify the inaction and short comings of
his own administration.
It's no accident that Sargsyan not only condemns the Hungarian government
for the extradition, justifiably viewing it as the consequence of a
political transaction, but he also severs all diplomatic relations and
contacts with Budapest.
Yes, after what has happened, it is vital to demand an explanation from
Budapest, especially about the secret extradition of the criminal.
But, for the most part,Hungary has done nothing that it can be held
accountable for in terms of international law. It has acted according to
international treaties it has signed on to, especially the 1983 Strasbourg
Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons.
This document permits it to conduct the extradition. It also allows Bakuto
free itself from carrying out the obligations imposed by the Hungarian
court.
All of this was well known in Armenia. This is the main neglected proof that
Hungary could one day take such a step.
So what is Sargsyan now demanding from the international community - mutual
understanding or pressure on Baku? And what will it give other than some
disillusioned steps at face-saving?
No one on the outside is really interested as to what will happen to
Safarov. I mean, no one was all that interested back in February 2004 right
after the murder; not even NATO.
After all, it was at a NATO military exercise that Margaryan was murdered
but the military alliance avoided any political evaluation, and thus, by
encouraging Baku's anti-Armenian stance and freeing the hands of member
state Hungary, facilitating the despicable transaction between the two some
eight years later.
It was this indifference that paved the way for Aliyev to make such
hysterical anti-Armenian statements at the opening session of Euronest a
few months later inBaku.
To construct your entire tactics only on the assurances of Europeans who
can't see beyond their noses means that one has not only failed to learn the
lessons of history, but that one has no diplomatic corps to speak of as well
as no national security or administrative network.
Instead,Armenias hould have crafted a comprehensive diplomatic, public
relations and political environment that would have made Hungaryt hink twice
before taking such a step and which would have prevented the United Nations,
NASTO, OSCE and especially the European Union from attempting to close their
eyes.
But it would seem that Armenia's authorities can only launch such a total PR
campaign and pressure against its own population.
When the issue comes down to inter-governmental relations and
politics,Armeniais transformed into a docile servant.
And we have seen the result.