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PROTESTS IN HUNGARY OVER MURDERER'S RETURN
Otago Daily Times
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/world/224717/protests-hungary-over-murderers-return
Sept 5 2012
New Zealand
Almost 2000 Hungarians have protested in Budapest against the
government's decision to allow an Azeri soldier who had killed
an Armenian officer in 2004 to return home, leading to heightened
tensions between the neighbouring countries.
Last week Hungary released soldier Ramil Safarov to Baku, where Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev pardoned him on arrival. Safarov had served
eight years of his life sentence for killing an Armenian officer
during a NATO training in Hungary.
Armenia immediately broke diplomatic ties with Hungary and said
releasing Safarov, who was given a hero's welcome on his return,
was a "grave mistake".
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds since the war between ethnic
Azeris and Armenians that erupted in 1991 over the mainly Armenian
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. A ceasefire was signed in 1994 but new
cross-border clashes this year have prompted worries of a resumption
of fighting.
Hungary said it acted in compliance with international law and that
Azerbaijan had promised to uphold Safarov's sentence. While the two
countries were in talks about developing closer economic ties, these
were in no way linked to the release of the soldier, it said.
Azerbaijan dismissed media reports that it planned to buy Hungarian
bonds, which blogs and newspapers had speculated might have played
a part in Safarov's release.
Protesters chanting "We are sorry, Armenia" said they doubted the
government's motives, adding that whatever the reasons, the decision
was unacceptable.
"Murderers should not be extradited to countries where it is clear
that ethnic hate crimes are considered heroism," said protester Laszlo
Muhari, 30. "In a democratic country this is not acceptable."
"(Prime Minister Viktor) Orban should stop lying and start giving
clear answers, because it is simply impossible that such a brutal
killer is just released without a background deal."
Otago Daily Times
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/world/224717/protests-hungary-over-murderers-return
Sept 5 2012
New Zealand
Almost 2000 Hungarians have protested in Budapest against the
government's decision to allow an Azeri soldier who had killed
an Armenian officer in 2004 to return home, leading to heightened
tensions between the neighbouring countries.
Last week Hungary released soldier Ramil Safarov to Baku, where Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev pardoned him on arrival. Safarov had served
eight years of his life sentence for killing an Armenian officer
during a NATO training in Hungary.
Armenia immediately broke diplomatic ties with Hungary and said
releasing Safarov, who was given a hero's welcome on his return,
was a "grave mistake".
Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds since the war between ethnic
Azeris and Armenians that erupted in 1991 over the mainly Armenian
Nagorno-Karabakh enclave. A ceasefire was signed in 1994 but new
cross-border clashes this year have prompted worries of a resumption
of fighting.
Hungary said it acted in compliance with international law and that
Azerbaijan had promised to uphold Safarov's sentence. While the two
countries were in talks about developing closer economic ties, these
were in no way linked to the release of the soldier, it said.
Azerbaijan dismissed media reports that it planned to buy Hungarian
bonds, which blogs and newspapers had speculated might have played
a part in Safarov's release.
Protesters chanting "We are sorry, Armenia" said they doubted the
government's motives, adding that whatever the reasons, the decision
was unacceptable.
"Murderers should not be extradited to countries where it is clear
that ethnic hate crimes are considered heroism," said protester Laszlo
Muhari, 30. "In a democratic country this is not acceptable."
"(Prime Minister Viktor) Orban should stop lying and start giving
clear answers, because it is simply impossible that such a brutal
killer is just released without a background deal."