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AZERIS LOBBIED TO DERAIL EURO-PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION
asbarez
Friday, September 14th, 2012
The Eurpean Parliament
STRASBOURG-The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy
welcomed the European Parliament's firm position with regard to
Azerbaijan, whose representatives were lobbying hard to derail the
resolution.
A group calling itself the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE),
was working to thwart effort to approve the resolution, which strongly
condemned Azerbaijan for pardoning axe-murderer Ramil Safarov and
subsequently treating him like a hero.
"This astounding case raises, once again, alarming questions about
the values, violence and the hatred which Azerbaijan preaches to
its citizens. It also is evidence of Azerbaijan's of respect toward
conventions and international treaties," said Kaspar Karampetian,
President of the European Armenian Federation.
The French-Armenian community will protest the arrival of Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev to Paris on Tuesday.
The European Parliament on Thursday adopted an urgent resolution, by
a vote of 58-13 with five abstentions condemning the glorification
granted by Azerbaijan to Ramil Safarov, the Azerbaijani officer
who brutally hacked lieutenant Gurken Markarian, an officer of the
Armenian army, during a Partnership for Peace training program,
organized by NATO in Budapest in 2004.
In its urgent resolution, the European Parliament "deplores the
hero's welcome accorded to Mr Safarov in Azerbaijan and the decision
to promote him to the rank of major and pay him eight years' back
salary upon his arrival, and is concerned about the example this
sets for future generations and about the promotion and recognition
he has received from the Azerbaijani state".
The text reflects the atmosphere of the debate which preceded the
vote, during which several European Members of Parliament, such as
Veronique de Keyser (group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists
and Democrats - Belgium), Charles Tannock (European Conservatives and
Reformists - Great Britain), Lunacek (group of the Greens - Austria)
or Vergiat (Confederal group of the European Unified Left - France)
expressed their shock as for the grace granted to the murderer
by Azerbaijan, and qualified this attitude of "scandalous." Paska
(Europe of Freedom and Democracy group - Slovakia) even compared the
Aliyev regime to the Mafia.
Moreover, the Parliament "considers that, while the presidential pardon
granted to Mr Safarov complies with the letter of the Convention on
the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, it runs contrary to the spirit
of that international agreement, which was negotiated to allow
the transfer of a person convicted on the territory of one state
to serve the remainder of his or her sentence on the territory of
another state", and "considers the presidential pardon granted to
Mr Safarov as a violation of the diplomatic assurances given to the
Hungarian authorities."
In addition, the European Parliament took into account all the aspects
of this case, and adopted a special paragraph which "reiterates its
position that the association agreement currently being negotiated
between the EU and Azerbaijan should include clauses and benchmarks
relating to the protection and promotion of human rights and the rule
of law."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
asbarez
Friday, September 14th, 2012
The Eurpean Parliament
STRASBOURG-The European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy
welcomed the European Parliament's firm position with regard to
Azerbaijan, whose representatives were lobbying hard to derail the
resolution.
A group calling itself the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE),
was working to thwart effort to approve the resolution, which strongly
condemned Azerbaijan for pardoning axe-murderer Ramil Safarov and
subsequently treating him like a hero.
"This astounding case raises, once again, alarming questions about
the values, violence and the hatred which Azerbaijan preaches to
its citizens. It also is evidence of Azerbaijan's of respect toward
conventions and international treaties," said Kaspar Karampetian,
President of the European Armenian Federation.
The French-Armenian community will protest the arrival of Azeri
President Ilham Aliyev to Paris on Tuesday.
The European Parliament on Thursday adopted an urgent resolution, by
a vote of 58-13 with five abstentions condemning the glorification
granted by Azerbaijan to Ramil Safarov, the Azerbaijani officer
who brutally hacked lieutenant Gurken Markarian, an officer of the
Armenian army, during a Partnership for Peace training program,
organized by NATO in Budapest in 2004.
In its urgent resolution, the European Parliament "deplores the
hero's welcome accorded to Mr Safarov in Azerbaijan and the decision
to promote him to the rank of major and pay him eight years' back
salary upon his arrival, and is concerned about the example this
sets for future generations and about the promotion and recognition
he has received from the Azerbaijani state".
The text reflects the atmosphere of the debate which preceded the
vote, during which several European Members of Parliament, such as
Veronique de Keyser (group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists
and Democrats - Belgium), Charles Tannock (European Conservatives and
Reformists - Great Britain), Lunacek (group of the Greens - Austria)
or Vergiat (Confederal group of the European Unified Left - France)
expressed their shock as for the grace granted to the murderer
by Azerbaijan, and qualified this attitude of "scandalous." Paska
(Europe of Freedom and Democracy group - Slovakia) even compared the
Aliyev regime to the Mafia.
Moreover, the Parliament "considers that, while the presidential pardon
granted to Mr Safarov complies with the letter of the Convention on
the Transfer of Sentenced Persons, it runs contrary to the spirit
of that international agreement, which was negotiated to allow
the transfer of a person convicted on the territory of one state
to serve the remainder of his or her sentence on the territory of
another state", and "considers the presidential pardon granted to
Mr Safarov as a violation of the diplomatic assurances given to the
Hungarian authorities."
In addition, the European Parliament took into account all the aspects
of this case, and adopted a special paragraph which "reiterates its
position that the association agreement currently being negotiated
between the EU and Azerbaijan should include clauses and benchmarks
relating to the protection and promotion of human rights and the rule
of law."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress