Tweet
TALE SPIN: ORBáN NOW SAYS RELEASE OF AXE MURDERER 'NOT UNEXPECTED'
Budapest Times
http://www.budapesttimes.hu/2012/09/14/tale-spin/
Sept 14 2012
Hungary
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told reporters on Tuesday that he had
the last word in the decision to repatriate the convicted Azerbaijani
murderer Ramil Safarov, and that he was not surprised by the killer's
subsequent release. This puts a new spin on events: last week the
government was claiming that it had accepted reassurances from Baku
that Safarov would sit out the remainder of his life sentence in an
Azerbaijani jail.
Safarov brutally murdered a sleeping Armenian army officer in a
premeditated axe attack during a NATO-sponsored language course in
Budapest in 2004.
Igniting a firestorm
However, he was released and given a hero's welcome after being handed
over to Azerbaijan a fortnight ago. This enraged Armenia, which
immediately broke off diplomatic ties with Hungary, and led the US
and EU to demand explanations from both parties to the transfer. The
ongoing row is also threatening to reignite a conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan over the disputed province of Nagorno-Karabakh.
New story weaved
Despite now admitting that he never expected Safarov to serve out his
jail sentence following the handover under the Strasbourg Convention
on the transfer of sentenced persons, Orbán maintained the government
had acted "justly" in following international legal procedure.
Not innocent dupes
State news agency MTI quoted him as dismissing opposition claims that
the government had been seeking economic help from the oil-rich Caspian
Sea country. All relevant ministries were involved in the decision
but the prime minister had had the final say "naturally... as always",
Orbán said.
EUâ~@~Hduped
Two days earlier the office of the EU's foreign policy High
Representative Catherine Ashton appeared to be taking at face value
Hungary's protestations of being innocent dupes. "It would appear
that certain conditions and commitments that were agreed between
Hungary and Azerbaijan on the transfer of Ramil Safarov have not been
met," spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told Radio Free Europe's Brussels
correspondent.
"We will continue or we will try to be in touch with the Azeri side to
hear the explanation why this has happened and why the behaviour that
is endangering the fragile situation in the region is continuing,"
Kocijancic was quoted as saying.
Unintended consequences
Foreign Minister János Martonyi has written to his Armenian
counterpart Eduard Nalbandian in a bid to assure him that the handover
of Safarov was not intended as an insult to Armenia. In a letter sent
to MTI last Friday, Martonyi spoke of "Christian values connecting
the two peoples for a thousand years". He urged a restoration of
diplomatic ties, whose ongoing suspension would, he said, not serve
Armenia's interests.
Nevertheless, Armenian activists have continued to demonstrate outside
Hungarian embassies, this week in Berlin, Bern and Prague.
From: A. Papazian
Budapest Times
http://www.budapesttimes.hu/2012/09/14/tale-spin/
Sept 14 2012
Hungary
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told reporters on Tuesday that he had
the last word in the decision to repatriate the convicted Azerbaijani
murderer Ramil Safarov, and that he was not surprised by the killer's
subsequent release. This puts a new spin on events: last week the
government was claiming that it had accepted reassurances from Baku
that Safarov would sit out the remainder of his life sentence in an
Azerbaijani jail.
Safarov brutally murdered a sleeping Armenian army officer in a
premeditated axe attack during a NATO-sponsored language course in
Budapest in 2004.
Igniting a firestorm
However, he was released and given a hero's welcome after being handed
over to Azerbaijan a fortnight ago. This enraged Armenia, which
immediately broke off diplomatic ties with Hungary, and led the US
and EU to demand explanations from both parties to the transfer. The
ongoing row is also threatening to reignite a conflict between Armenia
and Azerbaijan over the disputed province of Nagorno-Karabakh.
New story weaved
Despite now admitting that he never expected Safarov to serve out his
jail sentence following the handover under the Strasbourg Convention
on the transfer of sentenced persons, Orbán maintained the government
had acted "justly" in following international legal procedure.
Not innocent dupes
State news agency MTI quoted him as dismissing opposition claims that
the government had been seeking economic help from the oil-rich Caspian
Sea country. All relevant ministries were involved in the decision
but the prime minister had had the final say "naturally... as always",
Orbán said.
EUâ~@~Hduped
Two days earlier the office of the EU's foreign policy High
Representative Catherine Ashton appeared to be taking at face value
Hungary's protestations of being innocent dupes. "It would appear
that certain conditions and commitments that were agreed between
Hungary and Azerbaijan on the transfer of Ramil Safarov have not been
met," spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told Radio Free Europe's Brussels
correspondent.
"We will continue or we will try to be in touch with the Azeri side to
hear the explanation why this has happened and why the behaviour that
is endangering the fragile situation in the region is continuing,"
Kocijancic was quoted as saying.
Unintended consequences
Foreign Minister János Martonyi has written to his Armenian
counterpart Eduard Nalbandian in a bid to assure him that the handover
of Safarov was not intended as an insult to Armenia. In a letter sent
to MTI last Friday, Martonyi spoke of "Christian values connecting
the two peoples for a thousand years". He urged a restoration of
diplomatic ties, whose ongoing suspension would, he said, not serve
Armenia's interests.
Nevertheless, Armenian activists have continued to demonstrate outside
Hungarian embassies, this week in Berlin, Bern and Prague.
From: A. Papazian