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Safarov Case Highlights Lingering Impact Of Nagorno-Karabakh Conflic

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  • Safarov Case Highlights Lingering Impact Of Nagorno-Karabakh Conflic

    SAFAROV CASE HIGHLIGHTS LINGERING IMPACT OF NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT

    Travel & Leisure Close-Up
    September 12, 2012 Wednesday

    The on-going conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the
    disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh triggered a heated debate at the
    Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Committee meetings
    in Paris.

    According to a release, Hungary's extradition of Ramil Safarov to
    Azerbaijan and his subsequent release drew the attention again to the
    lingering impact of the non-settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict
    since the cease-fire in 1993. Safarov was convicted of murdering an
    Armenian soldier during a NATO training course in Budapest in 2004,
    claiming that he spat on the Azerbaijani flag and humiliated him.

    "It is obvious that the debate over the Ramil Safarov case currently
    launched by Armenia in the international area has the only goal to
    consolidate the illegal Armenian presence in the occupied territories
    and to reject the demand of all international organizations (UN, PACE,
    EP, OSCE, etc.) to withdraw their armed forces unconditionally from
    these territories," said Azerbaijani MP, Elkhan Suleymanov.

    He further pointed out that Safarov was transferred by Hungary
    to Azerbaijan in conformity with the Convention on the Transfer of
    Sentenced Persons, to which both states are signatories. After serving
    eight years in jail, Safarov was released in line with the Article 12
    of this Convention, which allows any member states to grant a pardon
    according to their national legislation.

    Nagorno-Karabakh has been a matter of tension between Armenia and
    Azerbaijan for the last 20 years, causing around 30.000 deaths so far.

    Peace talks by the OSCE's Minsk Group, led by the US, Russia and
    France, have achieved little progress in finding a peaceful solution.

    In addition, United Nations Resolutions 822, 853, 874 and 884, calling
    for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Armenian forces,
    have not been implemented, and border incidents on the cease-fire
    line between Azerbaijan and Armenia have intensified during the last
    few months.

    "These incidents are extremely unfortunate," said Suleymanov.

    "Thousands of Azerbaijanis were killed since the illegal Armenian
    occupation of Nagorno Karabakh and no single Armenian - be it militia
    or civilian - was ever convicted for committing serious crimes against
    humanity so far."

    Armenian MP Davit Harutyunyan said: "We are only occupying 15 percent
    of Azerbaijani territory," adding that "the current number of IDPs
    (Internally Displaced Persons) in Azerbaijan amounts to a maximum of
    700,000 and not 1,000.000."




    From: A. Papazian
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