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FOR MONEY, WHAT ELSE? - THE BAKU OPPOSITION SAYS THAT IT IS A PITY THAT HE IS CONSIDERED A HERO, BUT THE HUNGARIAN VERDICT WAS TOO SEVERE
Nepszabadsag
Sept 4 2012
Hungary
Interview with Sardar Calaloglu, chairman of the Azerbaijan Democratic
Party
[Translated from Hungarian]
Sardar Calaloglu, head of the non-parliamentary Azerbaijan Democratic
Party (ADP), has told this daily that "Ramil Safarov's return home and
his reception may become a spark in explosive Azerbaijani-Armenian
relations." In the opposition politician's view, it is unfortunate
that the officer, who was convicted for murdering an Armenian fellow
student in Budapest, was welcomed in a ceremony after his transfer
and it was especially sad that the Azerbaijani leadership presents the
extradition approved by Budapest as a success in foreign policy and a
"victory over Armenia."
"Ilham Aliyev [Azerbaijani president] needs this more than a year
before the presidential election because he cannot achieve any
genuine result in the Nagorno-Karabakh matter," said Calaloglu, who
was arrested several times for his opposition activities. He also
added that the Hungarian court's decision to sentence Safarov to life
imprisonment had been excessive. "It did not consider the fact that
he had come from an area that was still occupied by Armenians these
days and that the victim had mocked him and Azerbaijan. In such a
situation, the perpetrator would receive 15 years' imprisonment in
our country. Safarov served more than half of his sentence; therefore,
the presidential pardon was neither illegal nor unworthy. It did not
mean that we did not consider murder a crime; instead, it meant that
the court had not considered all circumstances when it handed out its
verdict," Calaloglu explained; he also added that Armenia had also
handed down lenient punishments for the murder of Azerbaijanis. He
pointed out that Yerevan was criticizing Safarov's release on a
national basis, not on a legal one.
Calaloglu said that it was impossible that Budapest had not expected
an amnesty for Safarov. "They sent [diplomatic] notes only because of
international reactions, but the developments could not have caught
Hungarian politicians by surprise," the 58-year-old politician, who
graduated from medical school, said. He also said that the Hungarian
step could be explained easily: "It did it for money, what else?
Hungary faced the same situation as Greece, but Azerbaijan had
substantial revenues from natural gas and crude oil. I, of course,
did not know whether the purchase of bonds would actually take place."
He said that Azerbaijan was an important partner for the outside
world because of its strategic location and raw material reserves, so
nobody raised serious objections against the country's anti-democratic
regime. Calaloglu explained the country's international reputation as
follows: "Despite the fact that human rights were not guaranteed and
the regime was corrupt and dictatorial, Azerbaijan was a key player
in the region." The politician, who was not allowed to run in the 2008
elections, said that "we were a pseudo-democracy and this was the most
dangerous thing." (Finally, six opposition candidates ran and secured
a total of 11 per cent [of the votes] against Aliyev's 89 per cent.)
The ADP chairman also went on to say that "they could not convene and
appear on television. The regime was a criminal gang and democratic
regulations were not implemented in practice. We were prisoners and
it was an achievement that our party existed at all."
[Translated from Hungarian]
Nepszabadsag
Sept 4 2012
Hungary
Interview with Sardar Calaloglu, chairman of the Azerbaijan Democratic
Party
[Translated from Hungarian]
Sardar Calaloglu, head of the non-parliamentary Azerbaijan Democratic
Party (ADP), has told this daily that "Ramil Safarov's return home and
his reception may become a spark in explosive Azerbaijani-Armenian
relations." In the opposition politician's view, it is unfortunate
that the officer, who was convicted for murdering an Armenian fellow
student in Budapest, was welcomed in a ceremony after his transfer
and it was especially sad that the Azerbaijani leadership presents the
extradition approved by Budapest as a success in foreign policy and a
"victory over Armenia."
"Ilham Aliyev [Azerbaijani president] needs this more than a year
before the presidential election because he cannot achieve any
genuine result in the Nagorno-Karabakh matter," said Calaloglu, who
was arrested several times for his opposition activities. He also
added that the Hungarian court's decision to sentence Safarov to life
imprisonment had been excessive. "It did not consider the fact that
he had come from an area that was still occupied by Armenians these
days and that the victim had mocked him and Azerbaijan. In such a
situation, the perpetrator would receive 15 years' imprisonment in
our country. Safarov served more than half of his sentence; therefore,
the presidential pardon was neither illegal nor unworthy. It did not
mean that we did not consider murder a crime; instead, it meant that
the court had not considered all circumstances when it handed out its
verdict," Calaloglu explained; he also added that Armenia had also
handed down lenient punishments for the murder of Azerbaijanis. He
pointed out that Yerevan was criticizing Safarov's release on a
national basis, not on a legal one.
Calaloglu said that it was impossible that Budapest had not expected
an amnesty for Safarov. "They sent [diplomatic] notes only because of
international reactions, but the developments could not have caught
Hungarian politicians by surprise," the 58-year-old politician, who
graduated from medical school, said. He also said that the Hungarian
step could be explained easily: "It did it for money, what else?
Hungary faced the same situation as Greece, but Azerbaijan had
substantial revenues from natural gas and crude oil. I, of course,
did not know whether the purchase of bonds would actually take place."
He said that Azerbaijan was an important partner for the outside
world because of its strategic location and raw material reserves, so
nobody raised serious objections against the country's anti-democratic
regime. Calaloglu explained the country's international reputation as
follows: "Despite the fact that human rights were not guaranteed and
the regime was corrupt and dictatorial, Azerbaijan was a key player
in the region." The politician, who was not allowed to run in the 2008
elections, said that "we were a pseudo-democracy and this was the most
dangerous thing." (Finally, six opposition candidates ran and secured
a total of 11 per cent [of the votes] against Aliyev's 89 per cent.)
The ADP chairman also went on to say that "they could not convene and
appear on television. The regime was a criminal gang and democratic
regulations were not implemented in practice. We were prisoners and
it was an achievement that our party existed at all."
[Translated from Hungarian]