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AZERI EMBASSY IN BUDAPEST UNDER TIGHTER SECURITY OVER OFFICER'S EXTRADITION - DIPLOMAT
Interfax
Sept 3 2012
Russia
Hungarian authorities have tightened security measures for the Azeri
Embassy in Baku after an Azeri army officer who was convicted in
Hungary of murdering an Armenian was extradited to Azerbaijan and
pardoned there.
On February 19, 2004, Senior Lt. Ramil Safarov axed Armenian army
lieutenant Gurgen Markarian in his sleep in Budapest in a fit of rage.
Both officers had been attending an English language course in Hungary
under NATO's Partnership for Peace program.
On April 13, 2006, a Budapest court gave Safarov a life sentence
without the right to appeal for pardon for the first 30 years of
his term.
On August 31, 2012, Hungary extradited Safarov to Azerbaijan. The same
day, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev pardoned him, and Defense Minister
Safar Abiyev had a meeting with him at which he promoted the officer
to major, gave him keys to a new apartment and returned him his pay
for eight and a half years.
Safarov's extradition and pardon sparked outrage in Armenia, which
suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary. Hungary presented
Azerbaijan with a note protesting the convict's pardon.
Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian said Azerbaijan "flagrantly
breaches international laws, international conventions and agreements."
The Hungarian Justice Ministry said Safarov's repatriation was based
on the European Convention on Extradition.
The United States demanded explanations from Hungary. U.S. National
Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor expressed concern over
Safarov's pardon.
Hungarian authorities "feel the probability of some excesses," the
Azeri ambassador in Budapest, Vilayat Guliyev, told Azeri television
company ANS by phone. "I don't think there are any big problems,
everything is under control."
Guliyev said he had discussed the Safarov issue "in a routine way"
during a meeting with the Hungarian prime minister's spokesman, Peter
Szijjarto. The ambassador said other bilateral issues were raised as
well at the meeting.
The Hungarian protest note "isn't anything extraordinary," the
diplomat said.
"I believe that this issue is off the agenda," he said.
Guliyev said protests from ethnic Armenian communities abroad had been
fruitless. "They wanted to hold a rally before the parliament building,
which had been sanctioned by the Hungarian authorities, but they were
unable to get more than 20 people together for the event," he said.
From: A. Papazian
Interfax
Sept 3 2012
Russia
Hungarian authorities have tightened security measures for the Azeri
Embassy in Baku after an Azeri army officer who was convicted in
Hungary of murdering an Armenian was extradited to Azerbaijan and
pardoned there.
On February 19, 2004, Senior Lt. Ramil Safarov axed Armenian army
lieutenant Gurgen Markarian in his sleep in Budapest in a fit of rage.
Both officers had been attending an English language course in Hungary
under NATO's Partnership for Peace program.
On April 13, 2006, a Budapest court gave Safarov a life sentence
without the right to appeal for pardon for the first 30 years of
his term.
On August 31, 2012, Hungary extradited Safarov to Azerbaijan. The same
day, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev pardoned him, and Defense Minister
Safar Abiyev had a meeting with him at which he promoted the officer
to major, gave him keys to a new apartment and returned him his pay
for eight and a half years.
Safarov's extradition and pardon sparked outrage in Armenia, which
suspended diplomatic relations with Hungary. Hungary presented
Azerbaijan with a note protesting the convict's pardon.
Armenian Foreign Minister Eduard Nalbandian said Azerbaijan "flagrantly
breaches international laws, international conventions and agreements."
The Hungarian Justice Ministry said Safarov's repatriation was based
on the European Convention on Extradition.
The United States demanded explanations from Hungary. U.S. National
Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor expressed concern over
Safarov's pardon.
Hungarian authorities "feel the probability of some excesses," the
Azeri ambassador in Budapest, Vilayat Guliyev, told Azeri television
company ANS by phone. "I don't think there are any big problems,
everything is under control."
Guliyev said he had discussed the Safarov issue "in a routine way"
during a meeting with the Hungarian prime minister's spokesman, Peter
Szijjarto. The ambassador said other bilateral issues were raised as
well at the meeting.
The Hungarian protest note "isn't anything extraordinary," the
diplomat said.
"I believe that this issue is off the agenda," he said.
Guliyev said protests from ethnic Armenian communities abroad had been
fruitless. "They wanted to hold a rally before the parliament building,
which had been sanctioned by the Hungarian authorities, but they were
unable to get more than 20 people together for the event," he said.
From: A. Papazian