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HUNGARY RED-FACED AFTER AZERBAIJAN FREES MURDERER
The Budapest Times
Sept 4 2012
Hungary
Questions over strongman's alleged pledge to buy billions in Hungarian bonds
Posted on 04 September 2012
Armenia severed all diplomatic relations with Hungary last Friday
following the extradition of the Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Sahib
Safarov, who was convicted of murder in Hungary. Safarov killed
an Armenian roommate in 2004 during a course of studies organised
by NATO in Budapest and was given a life sentence in Hungary. Back
in his homeland Safarov was immediately pardoned by the country's
president and has been celebrated as a national hero.
The Hungarian government has since been at pains to explain itself
and limit the damage. According to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, the
extradition was in line with the European Convention on the Transfer
of Sentenced Persons signed in Strasbourg. The state secretary for
foreign affairs and foreign trade at the prime minister' office
Peter Szijjarto said that on Sunday the foreign ministry had given
the Azerbaijani ambassador in Budapest a diplomatic note, describing
the events following the extradition of the murderer as "unacceptable"
and "condemning" them. The Hungarian government was dismayed to learn
that Safarov had been pardoned, Szijjarto said.
The state secretary also described the events leading up to the
extradition: Safarov's legal representative had appealed to the
Hungarian justice minister to allow Safarov to serve his sentence in
Azerbaijan. The Hungarian justice ministry subsequently made contact
with the Azerbaijani authorities, which had pledged that the crime for
which Safarov was sentenced would also quality as a crime in accordance
with the Azerbaijani criminal code and be subject to a life sentence,
Szijjarto said. The Azerbaijani authorities had also assured Hungary
that Safarov would serve the remaining part of the sentence that
he had begun in Hungary in his homeland. The diplomatic note also
refers to a promise made in a letter by the deputy justice minister
of Azerbaijan dated 15 August 2012, according to which the convicted
murder could hope to be released on conditional parole no earlier
than 25 years after commencing his prison sentence, Szijjarto said.
The reality was very different: on day of his extradition, Safarov,
described in Hungary as an "axe murderer", was pardoned by Azerbaijani
president Ilham Aliyev, promoted as a soldier and given a rapturous
welcome by the people. What is more, he was granted a new flat and
the assurance that he would receive his pay retroactively. That did
not go unnoticed in the neighbouring country Armenia. The same day
Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan announced that his country was
severing relations with Hungary. Irate Armenians protested outside
the Hungarian consulate in Yerevan and burnt a Hungarian flag.
There were also protests in Hungary itself. By Sunday evening
the Facebook group "Hey Armenia, sorry about our Prime Minister"
had already amassed almost 9,000 members. The organisation "One
million for Hungarian press freedom" also announced a demonstration of
solidarity with Armenia on Kossuth ter, and called for an explanation
from Viktor Orban.
The largest opposition party, the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP)
said that it was also waiting for an explanation of the events. At a
Socialist party event on Sunday in Siofok Socialist MP Zsolt Molnar
called for foreign minister Janos Martonyi to resign. Molnar, who
is chairman of the parliamentary committee for national security,
also demanded that Martonyi give answers at the next meeting of the
committee as to why and how the extradition came about and whether
consideration had been given to the safety of Hungarians living
in Armenia.
Former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany's party, the Democratic
Coalition (DK), went one step further and took to the streets. It
swiftly repurposed a demonstration taking place in any case against the
government's education policy and marched from the state secretariat
for education to the justice ministry. DK party chairman Gyurcsany
adroitly linked the two topics: "A government that is willing to
hawk the honour of the country for 30 pieces of silver and release a
murderer from deserved execution of a prison sentence, is hardly in a
position to introduce ethics teaching in schools", Gyurcsany said. His
remark was an allusion to reports in the weekly news magazine HVG
that Azerbaijan had pledged to buy Hungarian government bonds with a
value of as much as EUR 3 billion in exchange for handing over Safarov.
Gyurcsany told journalists that the Azerbaijani authorities had also
appealed to his government to hand over Safarov. However, since it had
been clear that Safarov would immediately be released in his homeland
and celebrated as a hero, his government had refused the request,
Gyurcsany said. He noted that Orban must have been aware of the
likely consequences in the absence of guarantees that the convicted
murderer would continue to serve his sentence in his homeland, such
as a promise from the Azerbaijani president.
Democratic Coalition deputy chairman Csaba Molnar accused the
government of having "turned the honour of the Hungarians into goods
for sale" and "brought shame on the country". He accused Prime Minister
Viktor Orban of "preferring to beg money from the devil" than to reach
an agreement with the European Union and the International Monetary
Fund. Candles were lit at the end of the demonstration in memory of
the Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan, who was axe murdered in his
bed in 2004.
Far-right party Jobbik took a more laid-back view of events. Deputy
parliamentary party group leader and deputy chairman of the
parliamentary commission for foreign affairs Marton Gyongyosi said
that the extradition was fully in line with international law. He told
state news agency MTI that the Armenian reaction was "over the top and
hysterical". Gyongyosi also commented that his party had announced a
policy of opening up to the East, in which Azerbaijan was identified
as a strategic partner, ahead of the last general elections.
Regardless of the current case, Azerbaijan would continue to be
regarded as a such a partner, he said.
http://www.budapesttimes.hu/2012/09/04/hungary-red-faced-after-azerbaijan-frees-murderer/
From: Baghdasarian
The Budapest Times
Sept 4 2012
Hungary
Questions over strongman's alleged pledge to buy billions in Hungarian bonds
Posted on 04 September 2012
Armenia severed all diplomatic relations with Hungary last Friday
following the extradition of the Azerbaijani army officer Ramil Sahib
Safarov, who was convicted of murder in Hungary. Safarov killed
an Armenian roommate in 2004 during a course of studies organised
by NATO in Budapest and was given a life sentence in Hungary. Back
in his homeland Safarov was immediately pardoned by the country's
president and has been celebrated as a national hero.
The Hungarian government has since been at pains to explain itself
and limit the damage. According to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, the
extradition was in line with the European Convention on the Transfer
of Sentenced Persons signed in Strasbourg. The state secretary for
foreign affairs and foreign trade at the prime minister' office
Peter Szijjarto said that on Sunday the foreign ministry had given
the Azerbaijani ambassador in Budapest a diplomatic note, describing
the events following the extradition of the murderer as "unacceptable"
and "condemning" them. The Hungarian government was dismayed to learn
that Safarov had been pardoned, Szijjarto said.
The state secretary also described the events leading up to the
extradition: Safarov's legal representative had appealed to the
Hungarian justice minister to allow Safarov to serve his sentence in
Azerbaijan. The Hungarian justice ministry subsequently made contact
with the Azerbaijani authorities, which had pledged that the crime for
which Safarov was sentenced would also quality as a crime in accordance
with the Azerbaijani criminal code and be subject to a life sentence,
Szijjarto said. The Azerbaijani authorities had also assured Hungary
that Safarov would serve the remaining part of the sentence that
he had begun in Hungary in his homeland. The diplomatic note also
refers to a promise made in a letter by the deputy justice minister
of Azerbaijan dated 15 August 2012, according to which the convicted
murder could hope to be released on conditional parole no earlier
than 25 years after commencing his prison sentence, Szijjarto said.
The reality was very different: on day of his extradition, Safarov,
described in Hungary as an "axe murderer", was pardoned by Azerbaijani
president Ilham Aliyev, promoted as a soldier and given a rapturous
welcome by the people. What is more, he was granted a new flat and
the assurance that he would receive his pay retroactively. That did
not go unnoticed in the neighbouring country Armenia. The same day
Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan announced that his country was
severing relations with Hungary. Irate Armenians protested outside
the Hungarian consulate in Yerevan and burnt a Hungarian flag.
There were also protests in Hungary itself. By Sunday evening
the Facebook group "Hey Armenia, sorry about our Prime Minister"
had already amassed almost 9,000 members. The organisation "One
million for Hungarian press freedom" also announced a demonstration of
solidarity with Armenia on Kossuth ter, and called for an explanation
from Viktor Orban.
The largest opposition party, the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP)
said that it was also waiting for an explanation of the events. At a
Socialist party event on Sunday in Siofok Socialist MP Zsolt Molnar
called for foreign minister Janos Martonyi to resign. Molnar, who
is chairman of the parliamentary committee for national security,
also demanded that Martonyi give answers at the next meeting of the
committee as to why and how the extradition came about and whether
consideration had been given to the safety of Hungarians living
in Armenia.
Former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany's party, the Democratic
Coalition (DK), went one step further and took to the streets. It
swiftly repurposed a demonstration taking place in any case against the
government's education policy and marched from the state secretariat
for education to the justice ministry. DK party chairman Gyurcsany
adroitly linked the two topics: "A government that is willing to
hawk the honour of the country for 30 pieces of silver and release a
murderer from deserved execution of a prison sentence, is hardly in a
position to introduce ethics teaching in schools", Gyurcsany said. His
remark was an allusion to reports in the weekly news magazine HVG
that Azerbaijan had pledged to buy Hungarian government bonds with a
value of as much as EUR 3 billion in exchange for handing over Safarov.
Gyurcsany told journalists that the Azerbaijani authorities had also
appealed to his government to hand over Safarov. However, since it had
been clear that Safarov would immediately be released in his homeland
and celebrated as a hero, his government had refused the request,
Gyurcsany said. He noted that Orban must have been aware of the
likely consequences in the absence of guarantees that the convicted
murderer would continue to serve his sentence in his homeland, such
as a promise from the Azerbaijani president.
Democratic Coalition deputy chairman Csaba Molnar accused the
government of having "turned the honour of the Hungarians into goods
for sale" and "brought shame on the country". He accused Prime Minister
Viktor Orban of "preferring to beg money from the devil" than to reach
an agreement with the European Union and the International Monetary
Fund. Candles were lit at the end of the demonstration in memory of
the Armenian officer Gurgen Margaryan, who was axe murdered in his
bed in 2004.
Far-right party Jobbik took a more laid-back view of events. Deputy
parliamentary party group leader and deputy chairman of the
parliamentary commission for foreign affairs Marton Gyongyosi said
that the extradition was fully in line with international law. He told
state news agency MTI that the Armenian reaction was "over the top and
hysterical". Gyongyosi also commented that his party had announced a
policy of opening up to the East, in which Azerbaijan was identified
as a strategic partner, ahead of the last general elections.
Regardless of the current case, Azerbaijan would continue to be
regarded as a such a partner, he said.
http://www.budapesttimes.hu/2012/09/04/hungary-red-faced-after-azerbaijan-frees-murderer/
From: Baghdasarian