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NATO 'DEEPLY CONCERNED' BY BAKU PARDON OF ARMENIAN OFFICER KILLER
NaharNet
Sept 6 2012
Lebanon
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Thursday said he was
"deeply concerned" about the pardoning of a Azerbaijani soldier who
axed an Armenian officer to death during a NATO training course.
"The act he committed in 2004 was a terrible crime and should not be
glorified," Rasmussen said in a speech at Yerevan State University
during a visit to Armenia.
Azerbaijani lieutenant Ramil Safarov was extradited to Baku last week
from Hungary, where he had been serving a life sentence for hacking
the Armenian officer to death.
Safarov was immediately pardoned and promoted to the rank of major
after returning home to a hero's welcome, in defiance of assurances
from Baku to Budapest that he would serve out his term in Azerbaijan.
The issue has inflamed tensions between ex-Soviet foes Armenia and
Azerbaijan which are locked in an unresolved conflict over the disputed
territory of Nagorny Karabakh where they fought a war in the 1990s.
"The pardon damages trust and doesn't contribute to the peace process,"
Rasmussen said.
"Tensions must be reduced and concrete steps must be taken to promote
regional cooperation and reconciliation."
Rasmussen said he would convey the same message to Azerbaijan when
he visits Baku on Friday.
More than a thousand young Armenians demonstrated outside the
university where Rasmussen was speaking, chanting "Shame! and "We
demand justice!"
"We demand that NATO expresses a tough position towards Hungary and
Azerbaijan, revises its cooperation with Azerbaijan... and achieves
Safarov's return to Hungary so that he continues serving his jail term
there," protest organizer Artur Kazarian told Agence France Presse.
Armenia has broken off diplomatic links with Hungary over the
extradition and subsequent pardon, which has also sparked concern in
Washington, Brussels and Moscow.
At a press conference with Rasmussen later on Thursday, Armenian
President Serzh Sarkisian said that "making a hero out of a criminal
is unacceptable".
"Azerbaijan's shameful act seriously endangers the security of the
entire south Caucasus," he said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have not signed a peace deal since the 1994
Karabakh ceasefire and there are still frequent gun-battles along
the frontline.
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/52631-nato-deeply-concerned-by-baku-pardon-of-armenian-officer-killer
NaharNet
Sept 6 2012
Lebanon
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Thursday said he was
"deeply concerned" about the pardoning of a Azerbaijani soldier who
axed an Armenian officer to death during a NATO training course.
"The act he committed in 2004 was a terrible crime and should not be
glorified," Rasmussen said in a speech at Yerevan State University
during a visit to Armenia.
Azerbaijani lieutenant Ramil Safarov was extradited to Baku last week
from Hungary, where he had been serving a life sentence for hacking
the Armenian officer to death.
Safarov was immediately pardoned and promoted to the rank of major
after returning home to a hero's welcome, in defiance of assurances
from Baku to Budapest that he would serve out his term in Azerbaijan.
The issue has inflamed tensions between ex-Soviet foes Armenia and
Azerbaijan which are locked in an unresolved conflict over the disputed
territory of Nagorny Karabakh where they fought a war in the 1990s.
"The pardon damages trust and doesn't contribute to the peace process,"
Rasmussen said.
"Tensions must be reduced and concrete steps must be taken to promote
regional cooperation and reconciliation."
Rasmussen said he would convey the same message to Azerbaijan when
he visits Baku on Friday.
More than a thousand young Armenians demonstrated outside the
university where Rasmussen was speaking, chanting "Shame! and "We
demand justice!"
"We demand that NATO expresses a tough position towards Hungary and
Azerbaijan, revises its cooperation with Azerbaijan... and achieves
Safarov's return to Hungary so that he continues serving his jail term
there," protest organizer Artur Kazarian told Agence France Presse.
Armenia has broken off diplomatic links with Hungary over the
extradition and subsequent pardon, which has also sparked concern in
Washington, Brussels and Moscow.
At a press conference with Rasmussen later on Thursday, Armenian
President Serzh Sarkisian said that "making a hero out of a criminal
is unacceptable".
"Azerbaijan's shameful act seriously endangers the security of the
entire south Caucasus," he said.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have not signed a peace deal since the 1994
Karabakh ceasefire and there are still frequent gun-battles along
the frontline.
http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/52631-nato-deeply-concerned-by-baku-pardon-of-armenian-officer-killer